b'HOUSEHOLD GOODSLIGHTENINGTHE LOADBy Sarah B. HoodPlenty of changes are being feltin the transport of household goodsT he great pandemic ice jam of 2020 has broken up, andDEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTdespite ongoing transportation backups, employeesMeanwhile a strong demographic shift, evident even before are moving for work once more, albeit not at the sameCOVID, is continuing: we have a younger generation not nearly volume or with the same level of ease. Simultaneously,as attached to accumulating a mountain of goods as their baby were seeing a number of developments impacting theboomer parents once were. No longer do young people expect to transport of household goods, both on a national and inter- graduate from their studies, marry and start gathering household national level.objects; they have a wholly different attitude toward worldly Increasingly, relocatees are moving with lessespecially possessions. There isnt that attachment to accumulating items. younger generationswhile others are choosing to rent furnitureThe younger generation is more interested in experience and they in their new locationat least until their own furniture shipmenttend to travel light, says Phelps. [So] the younger employees are arrives, which these days can take longer because of moving fewer goods.COVID-related delays.Owen notes that young people today simply dont show the The industry is also seeing an overall increase in caps and restric- same interest in inheriting family heirlooms or collecting dishes, tions on company-funded moving expenses, as providers try tosilverware and knickknacks. This inevitably impacts the volume keep costs down in light of the many challenges recently posed byof goods they take with them on a foreign posting. So too does the pandemic. Companies are starting to provide either a dollarthe global shift to all things digital. Everything is now digital, so limit or a weight limit on moves, says Roy Phelps, chief commer- forget those books! says Owen. The trend of needing less has cial officer with moving and storage company QMM. This doesparalleled the digitalization of everything. Who needs CDs and not, however, affect higher-level employees. The executive tierthe old tapes for movies? typically has what they would have had in the past. On the other hand, that same young demographic is more Jan Owen, senior manager of global mobility relocation servicesinclined to take those items they value, like their bikes, snow-with TD Bank Group, says her organization is continuing to seeboards, or in at least one case, a mattress, even on short-term a demand for storage, especially from professionals moving to aassignments. This too can require a shift in relocation policies. smaller residence in their destination. If someone is going on an assignment, they may be going to a condo rather than a house,Furniture rental is also showing an uptick, especially in the U.S. and then they would rent their home. That hasnt changed, Some relocatees are opting to store their own furnitureor in the she comments.case of young people, even selland rent in their new destination Spring 2022PERSPECTIVES21'