COVID-19 will end. We just do not know when yet, but it is for certain because nothing lasts forever, right? Soon we will be living in a post-pandemic world and there are some adjustments that we must make. In the retail sector, retail design is one thing that will surely need change.
Since the virus has brought new things to people’s lives, the usual way of shopping can never come back is it will only put people’s health at risk. So, for them to be safe, we must develop a new system when they are inside our stores.
In this article, we listed some of our suggestions that will help business owners determine the things that must be done as part of adapting to the post-COVID world.
Be flexible
The general advice that we can give you is to be open and prepared for change. Now that the world as we know it has changed a lot, it is better if instead of having permanent changes in your store, you choose easy modifications in case there is a sharp turn regarding your customer’s demands.
Intensify your online presence and sales
Due to the health crisis that we are experiencing today, online selling had a bigger role to play in businesses. This is because it is convenient, and it makes people feel safer. It makes perfect sense because the less exposure they have, the lower the chance of contracting diseases like COVID-19. In this setup, all they have to do is to browse comfortably through their laptops and phones, place their order and have their purchases delivered to them or they can pick it up in a nearby drop off point.
Practice communicating safety measures
Diseases such as COVID-19 are invisible, and we cannot be certain that it is already okay to stop health and safety protocols after all of this is over. What is for certain is that safety measures on stores will stay for good. So, you have to make sure that you will be consistent in reminding your customers about safety practices when inside your store such as disinfecting their hands, wearing face masks, and observing physical distancing.
Make shopping appointments an option
If you can offer your customer the option of booking their shopping appointments online, you can better control the number of people going in and out of your store. You can also assist them better knowing when to expect them and what products they are looking for. Not only is physical distancing more effective with this strategy, but you can also focus more on taking care and making a better experience for your customers.
Minimize your store’s occupancy capacity
The occupancy capacity of your store is crucial nowadays. Instead of having the usual store greeter, retailers can now reassign them to count and limit the number of customers going in. Limiting store capacity is not only for safety but also for comfortability. It will give customers peace of mind because the covid-19 has undeniably given us all anxiety and slight fear towards overcrowding.
Change the way you do sampling
The spread of disease through surfaces has taught us to be cautious about having contact with other people. Obviously, this has changed our views towards sampling. Cosmetic retailers should now redo their sampling method to single use products. Digital sampling is also considerable depending on the retailer’s capability to own the proper technology that can show imagery.
Adjustment is required to all of us as our society recovers to what seems to be a sudden worldwide phenomenon. This has also given a big responsibility for retailers to help their customers have a better experience.