2020 has been a year unlike any other due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic and shopping centres and stores have been one of the many industries hit hard by the situation.
During lockdown and since shops have slowly started to re-open footfall has dropped off massively, with many shops and stores either closing down or operating at a much smaller scale compared to normal times.
But what can these businesses do to attract people back out from the safety of their home back into their shopping centres and stores?
Having Sales And Offers
One of the many things a lot of stores have been doing is to have sales and price drops on many in-store items to try and get people back out shopping and spending their hard-earned money.
Offering sale items and dropping prices has so far helped in the short term to get people back into their shops, as everyone loves a bargain and with Christmas just around the corner people will be looking for the best deals around.
This is definitely one way to try and get more custom but obviously isn’t suited to all types of retail shops.
Making Sure There Stores Are Cleaned To A Covid19 Standard
Making sure that every store is clean and following all the rules set out by the local councils and governments is vital to gain the trust of the public to re-enter their stores to shop once again.
All retail services have now all been told the rules of which they need to follow and should be following them closely, making sure that their shops are deep cleaned regularly either by their staff or using a professional cleaning company.
Most stores now have alcohol gel at the front entrance with a requirement that all people entering the stores use the gel to wash their hands before entering. This is an extremely good idea as the virus can easily spread through touch, and it also serves as a good reminder for shoppers to not touch any items unless they plan to buy them.
PPE
Personal protective equipment is also the order of the day to keep not only shoppers safe but also all the staff that works in them.
Again all workers should be following the rules set out within their local area, wearing PPE in situations that require it.
This can also help gain the trust of shoppers as they will be able to see that the retail shop and staff are taking the pandemic seriously and doing everything possible to protect anyone entering their stores.
Social Distancing
Unfortunately, Covid19 spread from person to person quite easily and one of the main weapons we all have to combat the disease is by keeping our distance from people that we do not live with.
Social distancing rules are different from country to country and city to city, so it’s important that all retail businesses keep up to date with all the latest information regarding social distancing.
Many shops, particularly those that have small retail units, are now only permitting small amounts of people within their store at one time. This is a good idea as it will help to maintain the social distancing rules that are required to be met.
The Future Of Shopping
Although the pandemic will end at some point, nobody really knows when and how that will happen. So for at least the short term future retail business will need to keep all their safety measures and social distancing in place.
This is obviously going to affect the business financially but with good ideas and deep planning, although it will be a struggle, many businesses should survive and come out the other end of this pandemic.
It’s important that these types of businesses that have been badly affected by the pandemic keep making short-term and medium-term plans to deal with the ongoing situation.
This can be hard though as things seem to be changing all the time. But adaptability is the only way for retail shops and shopping centres to survive.
Online Shopping
Over the last decade, more and more people have been switching to online shopping due to the ease of buying items on the internet.
During the Pandemic this has increased even more for most retail shops, and it is vital to help them survive.
Although most retail shops now have websites and online shops you would be surprised how many still do not sell their items online. There is no time like the present for these types of business as customers are switching from buying in-store to online.
No one wants to see shops disappear from their high street or shopping centre but it’s crucial during this pandemic all retail businesses utilise all tools to help them make more sales, and online shopping is one way of doing this.
Offering virtual tours of your shops online so that your customers can still get the in store experience is another way to help make more sales. This is a great idea to keep the personal touch that you get from shopping in-store compared to online shopping.
To Sum Up
Nobody knows what the future holds currently while we are all going through this pandemic across the world. Businesses are closing down left right and centre including many retail shops that have been operating for many years.
There are ways however to survive the pandemic by being proactive in your business, making sure that all retail units are thoroughly cleaned daily, following all the Covid-19 rules, making sure social distancing is followed and by being inventive with ways to attract customers back into your stores.
Every one and every business is having to deal with the same situations that the pandemic of 2020 is throwing at them but only those that are able to adapt to the current situation are likely to survive in the long term, keep you, your staff and your customers safe, and keep thinking outside of the box to keep your business successful.
