2020 was the year that many businesses either shut down or completely folded up due to the pandemic. Thus, many retailers came up with strategies on how to stay in the market. Now that the world is gradually controlling the pandemic and people are going outside, how can retailers thrive again?
Can Retailers Thrive Again Post-pandemic?
The answer to this is a strong yes. In fact, the pandemic helped boost e-commerce as experts saw a 20+% rise in sales worldwide. This was because most retailers took their physical business online. While the pandemic forced people to stay indoors, it added to the millions of people having to shop online. Now, as the world gradually enters the post-pandemic stage, will retailers be able to maintain their pandemic rise? This article will be providing you with tips on what retailers can do to continue thriving.
Experiential Shopping
Experimental shopping is what retail stores offer their customers by giving them (a) unique experience(s). As more people are starting to walk back into physical stores, as a retailer, you need them to come back the next time. You can create a personalized experience for your customers and also offer them freebies. Here are some ideas:
For example, if you run a clothing store, you can gift customers who make a certain purchase, free laundry services. You can also gift them a PDF document containing a complete guide on how to properly take care of their clothes. If you’re running a beauty store, you can offer select products for customers to try for free. You can also gift shoppers a goody bag containing small-bottled products different from what they bought. If you’re running a retail hair product company online, you can create a hair quiz for shoppers to take. This can entail knowing what their hair porosity is, hair type, or what wigs go well with what shape of a face. Finally, if you run a retail perfume store, you can offer big shoppers a 50ml bottle of a unique fragrance.
These experiences will prompt shoppers to come back to your physical or online store. Remember, you’re not the only retailer competing for customers so you must strive to give shoppers the best experience.
Keep Implementing Safety Measures
While people are free to go outside, the importance of safety measures cannot be overlooked. As the owner of a retail shop, you want people to see yours as a responsible shop. Make sure you insist on COVID-19 safety measures at all times and let that start with you. Wear a mask, let your staff wear their masks too. You can construct a small sink with running water and soap or sanitizer outside your retail store. Also, you can place signs on the floor stating feet and inches to ensure social distancing. You can also gift shoppers with free masks or have a counter sell masks at the entrance. This is especially necessary for some customers who may have forgotten to bring their masks along with them.
If you run an online retail store, you’re also a part of this. You can have little pop-up messages or a one-liner directly on your home page with messages like these:
- “Have you washed your hand today?”
- “Stay safe and use a hand sanitizer!”
- “COVID-19 is still out there so use your mask”
You can also hyperlink to surveys or quizzes that help people check themselves for symptoms of COVID-19. When you do this, it leaves an impression on shoppers that you care about their health.
Omnichannel Shopping Experiences
This is the use of different channels to make sales by giving customers a unique experience. Now, most customers don’t just want to buy. They need to know why they have to buy a particular product. Also, they want to compare prices and read the reviews of other people. More importantly, customers want a personalized experience. An omnichannel shopping experience brings all of these channels to make shopping easier for shoppers. On your website, you should have sections/categories that have short but detailed information on the products you’re selling. You should also have a review blog, a personalization scale, among others that cater to your customers’ needs. This, of course, will result in more sales for your store.
Manage Your Staff
Because you can’t do everything by yourself, you’ll need staff for your online retail store. However, you also need help in managing your staff such as assigning tasks to them, tracking their productivity, among others. How do you do this? Buy a retail management software. This will help you manage your staff, ensuring that they’re serving your customers well. Of course, this will bring in more money for your business.
Conclusion
It’s going to be a big year for retail stores as experts have predicted a $4 plus trillion estimated in sales for 2021. With the tips provided, you are well on your way to staying ahead in the retail business.
