Agree or Disagree? Why?

One of the biggest changes I saw in terms of product orders and consumer behavior during early Covid was a massive increase in companies offering preorder items. I was working for a 3PL and almost all of our clients switched to preorders when there were massive delays in sourcing and shipping. I thought this was relatively uncommon, but it turns out that even companies like Instacart were extending their preorder equivalents - Instacart changed their business model to allow customer to place orders for groceries up to two weeks ahead of when they needed them delivered, which is quite a long time for something like grocery delivery (Instacart, 2020). Preordering products allowed our clients to get money from the customers then for products that they wouldn't have made for in some cases up to a year, which gave them a buffer while finances were at their worst. As Instacart points out, the preorder process (or their equivalent) also allowed for customers to get products in a more predictable timeframe instead of constantly having delivery dates change. This took stress off manufacturers too, as they were able to staff up later on to create the products once more concrete Covid information and safety measures were in place.

Preordering isn't new - as anyone who's ever bought a video game knows - and it's basically a pull inventory system rather than the traditional push one. As with many things, Covid just accelerated its use. But it doesn't seem like companies have slowed down its use, and I find more and more these days that release dates for even the simplest items like a pen or t-shirt are announced ahead of time and orders are opened well in advance.