Research by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Board predicts four areas that have the potential to impact investments in the post-COVID-era, including permanent changes to consumer behaviour and long-term impacts on healthcare.

The report points to adoption of greater e-commerce, particularly among older consumers and shifts in global supply chains benefitting providers of supply chain software and automation.

But the CPP board also predicts a long-term impact on healthcare and privacy policies, including the shift towards telehealth and increased concerns over the sharing of personal data.

Cities too will also be impacted as it predicts potential shifts of people away from the big urban centres and changing mobility trends.

CPP monitoring and assessing new opportunities

"As COVID-19 impacts consumers, businesses and governments, we continue to monitor and assess the changing landscape as part of our ongoing risk management efforts, and to identify new investment opportunities," says Leon Pedersen, managing director, Head of Thematic Investing, CPP Investments.

Each focus area is backed by quantitative and qualitative data, including proprietary research such as interviews with portfolio companies and partners, as well as CPP Investments' custom surveys of consumers and supply chain managers.

An executive summary of this analysis shows that radical changes in behaviours enforced during the lockdown, health and economic concerns, and ongoing political uncertainty were the key drivers of these changes – and that the effects may be long-lasting.