The Effects of Coronavirus on the Economy of Iran and the World

As the coronavirus spread among many countries, the world was suddenly shocked and various aspects of daily life for many people underwent significant changes and transformations. Many experts believe that such changes have not been seen since World War II.
Perhaps the most important consequence of the coronavirus is the changes in the job market, unprecedented recession of businesses, and disruption of the global economic order. As a result of these unpredictable crises, many economic equations around the world have been disrupted, and as a result, have had both negative and positive impacts on domestic and international businesses. Furthermore, due to the unknown nature of this virus and the unknown outcome of the global crisis it has caused, it is still not easy to estimate the damages that have occurred, and this has left many businesses’ future outlook in a state of uncertainty.
As this virus spread, governments involved in this epidemic asked their citizens to take the issue seriously and observe social distancing as a fundamental measure to prevent the spread of the disease. As a result, many people’s

Online market and its role in reducing the spread of the virus

Perhaps one of the most important issues that is currently leading the world towards a fundamental change is the shift from traditional business patterns to new methods in the job market. Although decades have passed since the internet entered people’s lives and it seems almost impossible for all of us to live without it, it can be said that never before has the need for remote transactions and non-physical presence of individuals in society and the workplace been felt as a major necessity. This is true not only for developed countries, but also for developing countries who have recognized the need for this change.

The spread of the coronavirus initially caused a recession in traditional businesses, as these types of businesses did not have any alternative methods for providing their products and services. In the meantime, activities such as restaurants, tourism, hotels, transportation in various fields such as land, rail, air, shopping centers, and other situations where the formation of unavoidable gatherings occurs, have suffered the most damage.

On the other hand, access to the internet and its

The role of online market in the time of Corona.

Aside from the convenience of online activities, this type of market has been able to have a significant impact on controlling the spread of this virus in two ways. First, by encouraging people to stay at home and avoid social gatherings, this market has been able to limit the movement of individuals to crowded places such as shopping centers and busy markets, and thus play a crucial role in controlling the disease worldwide. Although this method is not well-established, especially in developing countries like Iran, and is accompanied by many restrictions, its role cannot be underestimated during the time of the coronavirus.

Second, the popularity of online payments and the use of methods such as cash, ATMs, and even checks has greatly decreased. In fact, cash is now considered one of the most important carriers of the coronavirus, and therefore, online payments have been able to prevent the spread of the virus through cash transactions.

Other benefits of using online markets.

Access to a wide market and customers; it seems that the most important advantage of expanding online markets for sellers is that there are not many geographical limitations in online sales, and the seller can enter the market with minimal geographical restrictions in order to offer their products and services. The result of this is access to a large volume of customers and, consequently, an increase in profits compared to traditional sales. However, this may require more time to happen.

Creating new job opportunities; digital commerce and online markets have been able to create new job opportunities for many members of society. For example, for those who manage social media networks for stores in order to sell online, a suitable job opportunity has been provided. On the other hand, various couriers and individuals who work as intermediaries for stores and try to deliver the desired goods to customers in different parts of the city have been able to have more opportunities for activity.

The challenges of the online market in Iran during the coronavirus.

Internet in Iran has always been faced with many challenges and restrictions since its introduction. These limitations, both politically and culturally, have always been a concern for many members of society. Especially now, with the necessity of digitalization due to the spread of the coronavirus, online market and buying and selling have become essential subcategories of digital services in Iran, which are forced to deal with various challenges in order to improve their situation.

In general, the challenges that the online market in Iran faces can be divided into two categories: first, infrastructure and internet limitations in the country, and second, cultural restrictions.

Infrastructure limitations of the online market:
Among the infrastructure limitations in Iran, the lack of sufficient internet speed and bandwidth is a major issue. Additionally, many interactive platforms such as Facebook and Telegram are filtered, making it difficult for online businesses to operate. Furthermore, only a limited number of people in society have access to the internet. Many individuals do not have smartphones or internet access, making it difficult for them to easily access online shopping websites and apps. On the other hand, the high cost of internet services, especially mobile internet, has caused problems for users across the country.

Cultural limitations in the online market:

Cultural limitations are as important as infrastructure limitations such as slow internet speed. The main issue is mutual trust between the seller and the buyer. Unfortunately, many buyers complain about low quality products and high prices. This is a major obstacle to online shopping. In many cases, sellers avoid providing real images in their advertisements and when the product reaches the buyer, it is not what they expected. Therefore, many buyers prefer to physically go to the market to access quality products at reasonable prices.

In addition, many sellers, especially online supermarkets that receive payment after delivering the product, complain about fake contacts and orders.

Another problem is the slow speed of product delivery. This problem still exists in Iran and even online stores with a history in this field are still slow. This issue has disrupted the progress of the online market, which seems to have a cultural aspect.

The future of online jobs in the post-COVID era.

Many experts and economists are hopeful about the positive aspects of online businesses, especially during the post-corona era. In fact, there is hope that the lifestyle of society and their way of doing business will undergo significant changes during this time.
Many are optimistic about the future of the online market, even though some of these changes may have negative implications. For example, there is a possibility that many workers, especially in the service sector, may lose their jobs and some middle management positions may be eliminated, resulting in a high unemployment rate. However, the creation of new job opportunities and the growth of many online businesses cannot be ignored.
The importance of digitizing the market is primarily about being prepared to face other potential crises. Crises such as floods, earthquakes, and other epidemics that may give hope to individuals to revive their businesses.