New year, new decade, new era of possibilities. This was the sentiment that floated effortlessly through the air as 2019 gave way to 2020. However, that hope wasn’t the only thing traveling around the world as people switched their calendars and practiced writing a new date on forms. The Covid-19 virus had already shut down parts of China and was quickly penetrating international borders with little oversight and no warning.
By April 1st, most of the world’s population had been placed under stay-at-home orders. Consumer patterns saw a large shift in priorities. Paint and hardware stores started offering delivery and door-to-car services at the beginning of the quarantine period. Sales spiked as people sought ways to stay busy while social distancing. This adjustment was crucial and, in most areas, well implemented. However, there are still ways in which the paint and coatings industry remains outmoded and unable to adapt quickly, especially when it comes to our reliance on stationary spectrophotometers.