"The New Online Normal": Exploring Online Trends on E-commerce and Internet Use During and After COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a bigger and rapid adoption of digital technologies, as people needed to communicate, work, study, entertain themselves, and buy without leaving home. In fact, the pandemic serves as an accelerator for a structural change in online consumption and the digital transformation in the market-place, organizations, and society. With this in mind, the purpose of this chapter is to review and reflect on the online trends derived from the coronavirus pandemic. Particularly, by reviewing recent literature on the topic, and presenting results of an exploratory survey, it will shed light on how people have changed and shifted some consumption patterns online with respect to (a) e-commerce, (b) Internet and social media use, and (c) demand for online services. Overall, this chapter will explore observed changes and trends around people and technology during and after the coronavirus pandemic to serve as a basis for future directions for organizations and brands.