S P E C I A L F E ATURE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY: SIZING UP THE RELOCATION BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE FIDI has launched a white paper in preparation for its first state-of-the-industry report. It is asking Aliates to contribute with their thoughts about the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses, where they are now and what challenges they need to meet for success from here. Dominic Weaver reports and speaks to Brielle Jones of lead generator TriGlobal about the prevalent trends before and since the pandemic and the shape of the mobility business. Beyond PPE and working from home costs and real lasting change, could this be an opportunity? Customer trends are all over the place. Sometimes we are getting a surge in people wanting to move with very short moving dates and then others who are looking for moves more than six months away A s we near the end of a year like no other in living memory, FIDI is preparing to launch its first state-of-the-industry report, taking the impact of COVID-19 on the moving industry as its main theme. The report will take stock of what has happened since the beginning of 2020, looking at the prevailing issues and trends in the business, the eects of the pandemic on the worldwide moving industry and the significant implications it has for FIDIs Aliates and for FIDI as an association. FIDI has published a white paper on LinkedIn and its website, to set the scene and to encourage discussion and feedback from its membership. This was compiled using industry sources including FIDIs recent COVID-19 webinars held between May and June this year, FIDI Focus and other FIDI documents, and several reports from the wider industry. FIDI would like you to read this white paper and submit your comments see details at the end of this article. Of course, the industry was undergoing far-reaching change well before the pandemic, facing market 30 FF300 DecJan21 pp30-35 Business Recovery.indd 30 trends that include fewer large corporate moves, a drop in the age of the average assignee, a trend towards owning less stu and in general intensifying competition on all fronts. This has driven significant evolution beyond the traditional family business with its own trucks, into many other models asset-based, asset-light and no-asset companies, such as move managers and RMCs. Many moving companies have grown well beyond their core provision to oer DSP, immigration and other services. Elsewhere, emerging businesses have come from a completely dierent start point, oering technology-based solutions that redefine the concept of a moving company. Fast-paced, continuous change was already the new normal in the industry COVID-19 has made the process faster still and companies must stay agile and responsive to keep up. As FIDI Focus has reported throughout the year, the pandemic caused delays and cancellations of moving jobs around the world, with business grinding to a halt in most regions of the world. Those who carried on, and the majority of those who have resumed operations since, have been faced with navigating WW W. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 24/11/2020 15:25