Due to the pandemic, trends that normally may have taken years to unfold, like remote work or the shift from physical to virtual commerce, happened in months (Greg Ip/Wall Street Journal)

Greg Ip / Wall Street Journal:
Due to the pandemic, trends that normally may have taken years to unfold, like remote work or the shift from physical to virtual commerce, happened in months  —  Spurred by the pandemic, business changes that normally might have taken years unfolded in months.