Omnichannel strategies key to success in new era of retail
While almost all high street retailers in England and Northern Ireland plan to reopen by this weekend, 85% remain worried about the risk the coronavirus poses to staff and customers, according to research from Brightpearl.
The company surveyed 2,000 retailers and found that 73% will be placing limits on customer capacity. 69% will offer hand gels for customers, 47% will offer protective screens, and 43% will provide disposable gloves or socks.
30% will only accept contactless payment and appointment style bookings. 25% will be implementing queue management policies, whilst 43% will close toilet facilities and 17% also plan to offer no changing room access.
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Three quarters of retailers agree that the implementation of safety precautions and social distancing measures will severely impact their in-store profitability, with 34% now planning to switch their focus to online.
To boost profits, a quarter of those surveyed will offer major discounts, with 29% agreeing that post lockdown sales are likely to dwarf the likes of Black Friday and Boxing Day.
Meanwhile, seven in ten said it’s ‘highly likely’ there will be a reduction in high street stores in a post-coronavirus world. At the same time, however, 75% noted that a blend of online shopping and physical experiences, such as Click and Collect, could be the key to success.
Nick Shaw, a chief spokesperson for Brightpearl, comments: “We’re entering a new era for retail and those best set to capitalise will have agile e-commerce operations and the underlying technologies in place that support blended experiences like Click and Collect, which has always been popular but is likely to see a rapid spike in adoption as the restrictions ease.”
