There is no question that the pandemic made 2020 a very strange year. For the first time in recent history, wide swaths of the U.S. economy were shut down, as people hunkered down at home in an effort to keep from catching — or spreading — the COVID-19 virus. While most restaurants were closed for in-person dining, supermarkets and other food retailers were considered to be essential businesses and, as such, remained open during the lockdowns.
But they had to adapt quickly to this new scenario, as many shoppers did not want to shop in person for fear of picking up the virus from strangers. Instead, many chose to order their groceries online for curbside pickup, or else have them delivered to their homes. This led to food retailers adding refrigeration equipment and cold storage space in order to handle the influx of online orders and deliveries.