All Houstonians were forced to adapt to a new normal in 2020 that changed nearly every aspect of life from work happy hours to buying groceries. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing forced many formerly unacquainted with online shopping and expedited delivery to become newly adept ecommerce consumers. The result was an ecommerce boom. This was not a new trend, but COVID-19 and subsequent public policy changes accelerated ecommerce’s growth and in doing so further expanded Houston’s distribution footprint in the region.

Due to the success of ecommerce in 2020, Houston’s growing role as a major distribution hub was not stunted because of the pandemic. This was not the case with the energy sector that took blows because of reduced travel and trade. Houston will be able to come out of the pandemic stronger because of the diversification within the industrial sector.