In Portugal, there was a specific moment when this type of service grew astronomically. And this happened all over the so-called developed world, around March 2020. At that time, couriers were seen as real heroes, doing a fundamental job, avoiding huge losses of time for people who couldn't spend hours outside supermarkets and hypermarkets just to get in, to comply with the law.

But a lot of time has passed, and as you say, convenience is here to stay. It's much easier to stay at home and wait for someone to deliver the meal you've just left the store, than to prepare a meal yourself for a fraction of the price, and absolutely more nutritious.

Large companies such as MacDonalds, among others, make a lot more money from this type of market, as sales end up increasing by avoiding occupying their restaurants, or cars standing in front of their drive-through.

But everything would be fine with this model if the fee paid by the commodities traders didn't go mostly to the distribution platform, and little to the courier.

In Portugal, and even in areas further away from the city center, such as the suburbs where I live, between 9am and 11pm there are a large number of motorcycles, electric bikes or even normal bikes driving around with someone carrying a yellow square backpack.

The market exploits this type of labor. I'd venture to say that there probably isn't a Portuguese person who has Portuguese great-grandparents who want to do this kind of work.

It scares me to see a society that doesn't mind polluting and punishing a fringe in order to obtain everything that comfort demands.