As the final chapter of the summer of 2021 comes to a close, food delivery is starting to crawl out of it's summer slump and (At least in my market area) things are picking up slowly but steadily. It's been a lot easier to meet my daily/weekly goals the past few weeks than it has been all summer now.
I anticipate that as the days get shorter, schools get back in session and the weather gets cooler that food delivery will likely increase as will the opportunity to make more money (If the app platforms don't oversaturate their markets with drivers).
Without trying to get too political, there's appears to be another ongoing covid scare (Just in time for the fall/winter) and that probably means good news for drivers. I read an article in a local online news site, that in my area, more and more people are becoming hesitant to eat out and gather in social settings, which (At least in the short term) is going to work to our benefit.
If (And God forbid) there should be another round of lockdowns coming, depending on what restrictions are imposed, it could be very profitable for us food delivery folk. But if lockdowns are more stringent like limiting restaurant hours, curbside pickup and when people can/can't leave the house (As well as redefining what makes an 'Essential worker') it can spell disaster for us. Throw in vaccine mandates for gig workers, many of us who will refuse to comply will be out of the job. Something we need to be really wary of as the days/months approach us.
During the 2020 lockdowns ridesharing suffered. Because people were afraid to leave their house unnecessarily and drivers were afraid of exposure to covid, the industry basically came to a standstill and it's taken almost an entire year for things to slowly even to start to recover. Rideshare is hopping right now, but how long will that last if strict pandemic measures are once again reinstated? It's something to think about.
Best case scenario (If there's such a thing), if lockdowns happen again, they would be almost identical to the ones that happened in 2020. Rideshare would suffer (And understandably so) but food delivery will flourish.
Worst case scenario, curfews imposed on residents, hours of operation limited (Or completely ceased) at restaurants/stores, vaccine mandates for all gig workers, rationing of times people can go to the store to get food (For example, people whose last name starts with A-D can go to the store on Monday, people whose last name starts with E-G on Tuesday etc...). I know it sounds conspiratorial, but I'm simply throwing the idea out there. 'What if" is the picture I'm trying to paint for gig workers.
What are your contingency plans during these uncertain times?
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