NEW YORK—The coronavirus pandemic has led to many changes in consumer behavior, but perhaps the one that stands out is the shift to e-commerce. Indeed, many consumers discovered the convenience—and safety—of e-commerce for purchasing all kinds of products as well as conducting other online activities during the pandemic.

In a recent post on its site, the consulting firm McKinsey & Company noted that in 2020, the share of e-commerce grew “at two to five times the rate before COVID-19.”

In the U.S., the growth of e-commerce was 3.3 times faster than before the pandemic, while growth in the U.K. was 4.5 times faster than before the pandemic, according to McKinsey.

In addition, the post noted “roughly three-quarters of people using digital channels for the first time during the pandemic say they will continue using them when things return to “normal.” This was one of the findings of an earlier McKinsey Consumer Pulse survey (which are conducted around the world).

This 2020 survey found that the flight to digital and omnichannel will continue. “Consumers continue to shift to online shopping across categories, with many consumers planning to shift almost completely online after COVID-19. Americans are trying new digital habits and intensifying usage of digital behaviors such as grocery delivery and restaurant delivery,” McKinsey noted.

Other kinds of virtual transactions such as telemedicine, online banking and streaming entertainment have also taken off, according to McKinsey. Online doctor consultations through Practo, a telehealth company in India, grew more than 10-fold between April and November 2020. These virtual practices may decline somewhat as economies reopen but are likely to continue well above levels seen before the pandemic.

This shift to digital transactions has propelled growth in delivery, transportation, and warehouse jobs. In China, e-commerce, delivery, and social media jobs grew by more than 5.1 million during the first half of 2020, according to McKinsey.