11 small businesses "resistant" to the pandemic

The past year has been quite challenging for most businesses in Serbia. The coronavirus pandemic practically overnight caused a global economic downturn, which did not spare our country.

There are only a few companies and businesses that have not been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many recorded significantly lower revenues than before last year, and small and newly established firms, faced with the danger of permanent closure, were forced to let go of some of their employees and thank them for their cooperation.

On the other hand, in the spirit of the old saying "one man's loss is another man's gain," some businesses experienced a real boom in a year marked by an epidemic and economic turmoil. As one might assume, these are activities related to the production or provision of services essential for people's everyday functioning, as well as businesses based on digital technologies or oriented towards the internet.

Below, take a look at the businesses that have withstood the "corona" crisis and significantly improved their operations in 2020.

Online Shopping and Electronic Payments

There is no doubt that since the beginning of the state of emergency last year, online commerce (e-commerce) has experienced the biggest surge worldwide. Even our people, who were mostly skeptical about online payments until recently, have significantly relaxed and embraced online shopping, realizing the incredible ease of purchasing products online. Partly out of necessity and partly for entertainment, online shopping has become a practical way to quickly and easily acquire a wide range of products with just a few clicks. This trend has not only applied to online shopping but also to other types of payment services, such as e-banking, bill payments, money transfers, and payment of bills and money transfers through digital payment institutions and their reliable services. Considering the valuable time savings provided by electronic payments, it is realistic to expect this trend in online commerce to continue even after the pandemic.

Courier Services

The overall growth of online shopping has directly influenced a significant increase in the volume of work for courier services in Serbia. Moreover, according to data from the Association for Electronic Communications and Information Society of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the largest courier services in Serbia have multiplied their operations by an incredible 10 times during the state of emergency and throughout 2020. From protective sanitary equipment and medicines to clothing and books, and even technical devices, package and parcel delivery companies struggled to meet the demands of their clients last year. In a year when "tightening the belt" became inevitable, courier services even hired new employees. As purchasing from the comfort of one's armchair is far more convenient when the ordered products are delivered to our doorstep, there is no doubt that the trend of increased use of courier services will continue even after the "corona" is over.

Food Delivery

Courier services are not legally authorized to deliver food and beverages, so food delivery services also experienced a boom during the state of emergency, curfew, and throughout last year. Among them, the established players (Donesi, Wolt, and Glovo) took the lead, new players emerged in the field, and many restaurants (re)organized themselves. This meant that in a relatively short time, we could enjoy our favorite specialties from almost every restaurant in Belgrade in the comfort of our own homes. In conditions of drastically reduced restaurant visits and profits, food and beverage delivery to home addresses became a lifeline for many hospitality establishments.

Bakeries and Supermarkets

The declaration of an epidemic and the introduction of a state of emergency in the country caused (fortunately short-lived) panic among citizens, leading to almost empty shelves in supermarkets and bakeries in the first few days. However, since food production was never halted, complete supply of bakeries and grocery stores was quickly restored. Life had to go on even during the pandemic, and the sale of essential groceries and the operation of supermarkets were not jeopardized, so most well-stocked retail chains and stores ended the year with a solid profit.

Beverage Discount Stores

A similar situation can be observed with specialized beverage discount stores and cellars. Namely, with the closure of hospitality establishments and later the reduction of their working hours, socializing among people, with the necessary precautionary measures, was limited to outdoor spaces such as parks, yards, terraces, and popular city excursion sites. The places where we traditionally find the most affordable refreshing drinks are definitely beverage discount stores. There was a noticeable increase in sales in beverage cellars, especially during the extended curfew period when people, out of "fear" of going thirsty, bought drinks in packs, crates, and cartons.

Hair and Beauty Salons

Looking good, or at least presentable, is another essential need for people. Haircuts and shaves, coloring and styling, depilation, or nail treatments continued to be practiced almost as much as before the pandemic. Although the volume of business and profits in hair and beauty salons initially declined during the state of emergency, with some reorganization and adaptation to epidemiological measures, most of them managed to maintain their clients, work dynamics, and revenue, if not improve their business.

Home Repairs and Building Cleaning

Boiler leaks or heater replacements, apartment painting or plumbing pipe replacements, for instance, do not know about epidemics and can happen at any time. In relation to that, skilled builders and handymen of various specialties had their usual workload in 2020, just like in previous years. On the other hand, their colleagues who deal with building cleaning and maintenance surely had more work than ever, as the process of disinfecting and sterilizing apartments, houses, and especially public spaces understandably reached its peak during the past year and will undoubtedly continue into this one.

Pharmacies

With the appearance of the first cases of coronavirus in Serbia, pharmacies and household chemical stores were the places where long queues of people waiting patiently could often be seen. The demand for protective masks and gloves, disinfectants, antiseptics, and medical alcohol, and later on, vitamins and antibiotics, has not diminished to this day, and during 2020, it probably reached its historical maximum. Therefore, it is clear that in such a situation, pharmacies in Serbia simply had to have a positive balance in their accounts.

Funeral Services

"Only death is a certain job," says Laki Topalović in the famous "Maratonci" movie. Dark humor or harsh truth, either way, funeral service companies had far more work in 2020 since Covid-19, according to official data, claimed over 4,000 lives in Serbia.

Pet Shops and Pet Care

Similar to humans, the nutrition and hygiene of pets could not be compromised even during the darkest epidemiological waves. Therefore, pet shops and pet care centers largely maintained stability in their business operations, and under the pressure of curfews and limited movement, some of them even generated better revenues than usual.

IT Industry

"Last, but not least"... The IT industry is inherently quite independent of most social and economic phenomena. It was the case before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and it will be after it. Employees in the IT sector, including programmers and marketers, operate professionally in the digital world, making this sector almost untouchable when it comes to the impact of the pandemic on business. On the contrary, the trend of constant growth in the IT industry in Serbia has been evident year after year, and it was no different in 2020. Undoubtedly, it is the most promising and epidemiologically resilient industry.