Retail is Open - Ready? Or NOT?

Relaxation of lockdown measures, the confusion surrounding mask protocols and ongoing changes to rules and regulations have created confusion and stress for retailers in California, retailers all trying to understand what a post COVID-19 world might look like.

One thing is for sure, nothing will ever be as it was, so retailers must adapt at lightning speed if they are to survive.

Here are some key steps businesses should be taking to trade successfully in the post-coronavirus era:

Fear Mongers Loom

“One thing is for sure, nothing will ever be as it was, so retailers must adapt at lightning speed if they are to survive.”

With so much dread and ongoing stories in the media of death and disruption over the past 14-months, customers are on information overload.  This overload also makes our store owners more confused.  When I meet with my retail clients, the most important strategy I suggest is to provide a sense of safety for customers. Retailers should consider regulating the flow of customers into the store via an automated store access system, and installing safe touchscreens and POS.  If customers do not feel that a retailer is taking safety seriously, they will pass by and move onto the next store.

Become a VERY Good Listener

In a post-coronavirus world, old-school, customer-first approaches just will not be enough. To win back what are likely to be extremely cautious customers, businesses need customer outreach strategies that are hyper-relevant and hyper-local.  Retailers should employ surveys that ask how customers are doing, and what they can do to make shopping experiences more personalized.

Businesses should ask customers if they feel safer with curbside pick-up and work with landlords and neighboring retailers to buy small “Grab ‘N Go” signs and provide single parking spaces near stores.  It is the new normal; curbside is not going away so we have to adjust and mark spaces clearly and offer package carry out if possible.

Rule Out Nothing

New relationships and collaborations will emerge sometimes in the most unexpected of ways as retailers become more and more imaginative in finding ways to survive.  Retailers should collaborate with community charities and activists. Research shows that Gen Z and Millennial consumers look for businesses that support local communities. This demographic expects businesses to give back, and also value sustainable products that don’t damage the environment. They will vote with their feet and move on if they feel businesses are not fully engaged in the community.

Digital Transformation Is No Longer Optional

This is a no brainer. Brick & mortar retailers that prioritize opening their store daily will need to pivot and go hybrid to remain successful.  Show off showrooms online, and grow an electronic following now, not later.  Let customers know they can browse online or come in and see products in person. All successful retail businesses must put a digital plan in place.

“All successful retail businesses must put a digital plan in place.”

Innovation Wears Many Guises

As more and more information on the COVID-19 virus emerges, parameters for retailers will continue to shift. Survival will demand quick decision-making and agile operations. Learn to pivot, work smarter AND harder, use digital tools to take on the new world of retail.  Do not take customers for granted. Make sure to remain a good listener, and most importantly, try not to let corporate and ponderous bureaucracy drive local business into the ground. 

Namaste.

Source: Forbes Magazine, Retail Dive, ICSC