A report by Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ) units Bezeq International, Pelephone, and Yes shows that, during the coronavirus crisis, Internet use and mobile telephone calls soared, and have still not fallen back to their usual levels, while people have become disenchanted with current affairs broadcasts.
According to the report, food delivery apps are the big winners from the coronavirus pandemic. When the restriction on moving more than 100 meters from home was introduced in Israel, use of these apps rose 60%. The rise became 130% when the first relaxations of the restrictions was made, and usage is still 100% above normal.
As far as online orders from supermarkets are concerned, when restrictions began on retail trading and gatherings of people, the number of online orders rose 40%, and the rise jumped to 100% when the 100-meter rule was introduced. After the rules started to be relaxed, orders gradually subsided, and they are currently 20% below normal levels.
The big losers according to the report are the international retail websites (eBay, Amazon, Ali Express and others), which saw a 20% drop when the Israeli economy was put on an emergency footing and have not yet recovered.
Pelephone, Yes and Bezeq International VP marketing Ilan Segal said, "The study we carried out in the three companies enabled us to analyze how our lives have changed in one of the most challenging periods Israel has ever experienced.
"The Zoom app has without doubt become the king of the coronavirus period, and even today, after some degree of return to routine, there is a huge rise in its use, and in my view it will be sustained for a long time. Zoom and similar apps for group video calls will replace a large proportion of work meetings, and perhaps also family and social get-togethers. The coronavirus has demonstrated that while virtual meetings may perhaps be less pleasant, they are efficient and do the job."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on May 13, 2020
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