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Perspectives

Post-COVID strategies for retailers: Reopening stores

Rethink in-store and online customer experience

As ‘safer-at-home’ orders lift in various parts of the country and stores begin to reopen, retail executives should keep in mind key considerations from a customer, associate, store, and operational perspective. Retail store re-openings are accelerating the use of digital to re-think in-store and online customer experience and engagement.

This is bigger than a store opening, it’s your grand reopening

The effects of COVID-19 on the industry are profound and unprecedented. While it is critical for retailers to work through operational and tactical considerations to re-open retail stores, it is also an opportunity to re-examine who you are as a business, considering:

  • Customer—How has your customer evolved during and after the crisis? What are their expectations, needs, behaviors, and priorities in this new environment?
  • Brand—What is the purpose of your business, and how can you best serve customers? Do you need to evolve your value proposition to stay relevant? If so, how?
  • Product—What are the key, best-selling products and high-interest categories your customers care about today? Is it the right time to consider new categories, new services, and new business models?
  • Store—What is the impact on the store channel, its role, and the corresponding operations? How do you keep your customers and associates safe, while playing a new role in customers’ lives?

Preparing to reopen and what changes may be ahead

Having a directional North Star with “good-enough” plans is enough to get started quickly, with the intention of learning and refining over time.

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