One piece of advice retailers give themselves and their business this summer
We recently asked a group of several dozen retailers what advice they would give themselves three months from now. Their optimistic responses provide a much-needed dose of positivity as we enter the second half of 2020.
Community: Stronger Together
“Don’t panic, we are stronger than we think and can get through this together,” said Lifestyle Select Health Foods store manager Stephanie McColl, highlighting the power of teamwork to move forward. “We have the resources to make anything work. My staff is amazing, resilient, resourceful, and can tackle almost any problem.”
Echoing that sentiment, an assistant store manager from a popular baby merchandise retailer simply shared, “We’re here for you” – a reminder for both customers and coworkers to lean on each other throughout the pandemic.
New strategies
One retail executive shared that staying flexible is her key to moving forward: “With so many changes in how we operate, I’m concerned about planning too far out. My advice has been to be knowledgeable and logical, and to stay focused on the messages of the day, week, or month – rules and protocols are changing daily.”
“Curbside pickup is an extremely helpful tool in helping customers feel comfortable, while still getting their purchases on-demand.”
Offering advice on how to help shoppers adjust to an altered retail world, a store supervisor named Randy wrote, “Curbside pickup is an extremely helpful tool in helping customers feel comfortable, while still getting their purchases on-demand.”
(Curbside pickup also happened to be the most popular answer when we asked retailers how they planned to update their omnichannel strategies this summer.)
“The pandemic taught us all a valuable lesson: take current events seriously,” said an employee from luxury home accessories retailer Avanzato Home LLC.
Adjusted attitudes
A number of anonymous retailers shared short messages of inspiration, including “Keep smiling,” “Take care of the client,” and “Remain calm to work through things smartly.”
When it comes to advice for getting through the pandemic, and any future challenges retailers may face, American Reserve Clothing Co. founder Cliff Carey summed it up in three words: “Keep moving forward.”
Want to gain more insight into how retailers have adjusted their omnichannel strategies during Covid-19 and beyond? Read the blog below.
Caitlin Roberson
VP of Marketing
Caitlin Roberson is the Vice President of Marketing at Happy Returns. Previously, she served as Director of Enterprise Marketing at Lyft and Partner at top-tier venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Before that, she started and sold a content marketing agency.
