The New Order
Luckbox looks at the coronavirus-induced challenges that lie ahead for airlines, gaming, the stock market and almighty Amazon.
WINNERS & LOSERS IN THE POST-VIRUS ECONOMY
Some businesses are struggling to regain their footing as the pandemic continues
This special section of Luckbox examines The New Order that’s taking shape as the pandemic recedes in some quarters and gains momentum in others.
Coverage begins with an assessment of the power of the coronavirus to change the world in wildly divergent ways. It subverts the status quo differently in three corners of the American economy—air travel, online retailing and digital entertainment.
First off, the plague is humbling commercial aviation, a century-old industry with a huge physical presence and underappreciated commercial significance. Airlines and airports now reside in tortured limbo, barely able to serve customers safely or preserve their business models. The clientele has all but disappeared, and millions of workers in related business have been idled.
On the other hand, COVID-19 is fueling the already overheated growth of video gaming. Players, many of them still languishing in partial lockdown, are finding diversion and interaction onscreen. The audience is expanding rapidly, and business is booming for software creators and hardware manufacturers.
Meanwhile, today’s avalanche of virus-inspired home deliveries would seem to assure that Amazon will live for a thousand years. But that’s not the case. All things must end, including the ascendance of billionaire Jeff Bezos’ company.
For insight into all this, Luckbox enlisted expert help. William S. Swelbar, a research engineer, consultant and airline board member, addresses air travel. Stephen D. Van Beek, a professor and consultant, holds forth on the state of the airports. Financial analyst Adam Levine-Weinberg praises a certain airline’s prospects. Venture capitalist Josh Chapman analyzes the video-gaming scene. Tom Sosnoff, co-CEO of tastytrade, the brokerage that owns Luckbox, sizes up Amazon’s prospects.
