It is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way we work, and now studies are showing things may never return to pre-pandemic times. One such study of mobile phone activity has found that a typical week in the office now runs from Tuesday to Thursday.
Discover our latest podcast
Working from home
Analytical firms, Placemake.io and Visitor Insights arrived at this conclusion after examining anonymized phone data from over 500 UK high streets. The findings of data from 2019 to 2022 showed there was increased activity in many suburban and small towns. The analysis concluded that the increase had a correlation to the trend of many people working from home since the pandemic hit, according to the BBC.
Specifically, the data revealed that Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were very busy in the City of London. However, Mondays saw only 50-60% of that level, while Fridays were nearly as quiet as weekends. Mark Allan, chief executive of property firm LandSec:
We're not going back to how things were pre-Covid. We certainly believe there are going to be fewer people in offices for the longer term and we are planning accordingly.
High street footfall
Data from real estate firm CBRE Investment Management indicates that empty office space in London has more than doubled in the last three years. The company cautioned that if this trend of empty offices continue, many office districts will suffer.
However, while city centres have seen a decline, many towns and suburbs have seen an increase in high street footfall. According to PlaceMake.io founder Chlump Chatkupt:
The places that have thrived have a more balanced, diverse mix of office, residential and retail. Residents are spending more time at home and in their local community and finding they can do a lot without venturing too far out.
Sources used:
BBC: Tuesday to Thursday is the new office working week, data suggests
