Many of the supply-chain shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic have one thing in common: a lack of plastic and cardboard containers to put them in.

While no industry was completely immune, the food industry was hit especially hard by the pandemic, which restricted worker movement, forced production facilities to close and brought food distribution to a halt — all while consumer demand fluctuated with little predictability.

As vaccines roll out more broadly, and countries begin to get the coronavirus under control, attention will turn to the recovery and a return to normal operations. The supply chain will play an integral role in this effort, and will itself emerge in a different shape, with COVID-19 leaving a lasting legacy on many areas of transportation and warehousing.

Jeff Orschell, Americas retail leader with EY, discusses the results of the consultancy’s ongoing series of surveys of retail consumer behavior during the coronavirus pandemic.

As we forecast demand for warehouse space in 2021, staffing needs to take center stage.