Post-COVID strategies for retailers: Reopening stores

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Post-COVID strategies for retailers: Reopening stores

Posted by: pubco
Category: Retail Distribution

Rethink in-store and online customer experience

As ‘safer-at-home’ orders lift in various parts of the country and stores begin to reopen, retail executives should keep in mind key considerations from a customer, associate, store, and operational perspective. Retail store re-openings are accelerating the use of digital to re-think in-store and online customer experience and engagement.

This is bigger than a store opening, it’s your grand reopening

The effects of COVID-19 on the industry are profound and unprecedented. While it is critical for retailers to work through operational and tactical considerations to re-open retail stores, it is also an opportunity to re-examine who you are as a business, considering:

Customer—How has your customer evolved during and after the crisis? What are their expectations, needs, behaviors, and priorities in this new environment?

Brand—What is the purpose of your business, and how can you best serve customers? Do you need to evolve your value proposition to stay relevant? If so, how?

Product—What are the key, best-selling products and high-interest categories your customers care about today? Is it the right time to consider new categories, new services, and new business models?

Store—What is the impact on the store channel, its role, and the corresponding operations? How do you keep your customers and associates safe, while playing a new role in customers’ lives?

As customers return to the store, they should expect a safe and risk-free environment, where they will likely spend less time browsing and be laser-focused in their search, seeking to minimize contact with both products and people.

Retailers may want to create a nerve center to get to a “minimum viable store” opening plan for day 1 and multiple day 1’s across regions. Beyond that, create data and feedback loops for stores to quickly evaluate and evolve approach.

Jean-Emmanuel Biondi

Author: pubco

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