Business owners are forced to make urgent and risky decisions after strict lockdowns are implemented in many cities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For many, it is either they adapt and develop online operations or witness their business die down as people are kept indoors. It is such as pain to close physical stores which stood for so long, but this contagious disease has left everyone with no choice. There is also a major change on the behavior of consumers whereas essential spending can be observed.
Even after physical distancing rules start to loosen, people are still wary so retailers must continue establishing their digital presence to maintain the traffic that they once had in their stores.
For retailers/business owners, here we are bringing some strategic objectives that will be play a big part of your businesses’ recovery from the pandemic:
Redefine the Role and Quantity of Stores to Give Way to Digital Presence. Owners must be strategic in terms of managing their stores because they must also focus on their ecommerce platform where there is a greater chance for them to drive in more sales and higher revenue. But this does not automatically mean customers will stay on buying online for good.
It is safe to expect that after all this is over, people would still go back to their usual shopping habits, but it is still uncertain when so for the meantime, going digital is your best option. So, exploring it would be a good decision. To avoid further loss, it’s a must to think if closing some of your stores is necessary and consider investing on your online platform.
Keep Digital Operations Flexible. This crisis is requiring businesses to put up strategic plans that will make their digital operations outstanding. As brands and retailers face the challenges on supply chains, they also need to deal with how they can meet demands on the digital supply chain.
It is a must to be prepared in case any adjustment is needed within a short period of time. Use a setup that won’t knock you off your feet and would still allow you to gain sales even after an unexpected event happens.
Establish Strong Customer Relationships. It is difficult to make it up after losing a customer’s trust and loyalty. It is even harder to keep your bond strong with customers especially because your interactions suddenly transitioned into the digital world. You still have to stress the importance in-store customer experience. But you must also build a digital connection between your brand and the shopper. This is not only to increase their influence online but also to boost indirect sales through retail partnerships.
Summary: Remember that before going online, retailers should prepare catering orders, set up an effective delivery system, and ensure a good customer service. He/she must focus on his online platform to please customers who wants to make their purchases fast and convenient.