Consumer buying habits have changed considerably since coronavirus hit the UK and there’s no telling what might happen when we move out of the pandemic era.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you a global pandemic, tells you to stay indoors, puts you in charge of your little angels’ education and closes the pub, you’ll need something far stronger than lemonade.

It is no longer unusual to see queues at convenience stores across Britain and the pandemic has driven people to shop locally and less often, supplemented with online delivery orders.

It’s fair to say Christmas was different in 2020.

I used to quite like January.

One of the defining characteristics of the craft beer revolution has been a relentless emphasis on flavour.

Anyone who has been into a supermarket in the eight months since the British public were first instructed to stay at home would agree that the shopping experience has changed significantly.

Back in May (which feels like two years ago) I took the opportunity to reflect on the positive aspects to be taken from the initial lockdown, highlighting the strengths inherent in more traditional independent retail business models and supply chains.

Watching the judges at work during this year’s International Beer Challenge focused my mind on just how much the beer world has changed since the competition was first staged 24 years ago.

Richard Hemming MW's recent article questioned the value of wine education, on the grounds that it neither boosts wine sales nor benefits the consumer.

Protecting our people and planet: How retailers can navigate safety and sustainability during a global pandemic