The Refashioning of Fashion In the Age of Covid19 -Chapter 4- : Welcome To Our Store?
Now that CoVid 19 is a real part of our lives (at least for the foreseeable future), how will the brick and mortar retail landscape look? Not only are we concerned about how to get people in the stores but how will the in-store experience be?
Will consumers desire the in-store experience enough to cross the thresholds of the already suffering (well before the pandemic) retail spaces? What will the trajectory of a successful retail business look like post-pandemic?
Bergdorf Goodman’s Men’s store- MARCH 2018
Photo from another shopping adventure with George. The stairway here is always fresh and exciting. The perfect setting to try on garments and pretend how you would walk down the stairs in your own penthouse (can’t a guy dream!). All part of creating an amazing atmosphere for the customer.
The virus forced us to think differently- the way we work, live and travel. At best, it threw the proverbial wrench into our plans; at worst, it has destroyed families, and we’ve all had to figure out new ways to exist. In that same breath, those of us in the retail world will have to rethink the way we sell and invite shoppers into our stores.
WINTER AT CLUB MONACO- DECEMBER 2020
Photo taken on a visit to the 5th avenue flagship store. George and I love to peep the displays and bookstore here. They also served coffee and snacks at the “Ralph’s Coffee“ shop that is attached to the store. All great reasons to stop by the store (it certainly is great for coffee loving husbands).
To be ready for our reality, we must prepare to make changes to how we do business in stores, and retailers and customers alike will need to reset our expectations for the in-store experience. I know we all want things to just go back to normal. However, it just won’t happen that way. Jochen Zeitz, the former CEO of Puma, now head of Harley Davidson, tells Business of Fashion that organizations that fail to adapt might get left behind. We have to use this opportunity to re-examine our businesses and see how we operate and say what we can change to adjust to the new normal.
Safety First! It goes without saying, but safety for both the consumer and store staff must be taken with greater importance. Our time in “lockdown” showed us a glimpse into what the future of retail will look like.
Acne Studios- FEBRUARY 2020
Photo taken of the beautiful rails once seen at the 5th Avenue store of Acne Studios. I loved shopping there. The sales associate was very helpful and did not mind me taking photos. He actually remarked that Acne as a brand has a company appeal that all boutiques are to be treated as an art studio and expression and freedom is encouraged. Photos are welcomed! I love that mindset. It sets the stage for creativity and encourages good relations with the customer.
Retailers will have to actively take charge in temperature scanning, mandate strong disinfection standards, and rearranging the store’s set up to allow for proper social distancing for clients entering and shopping in the store space. In addition, retail venues should consider offering contact-free curbside pick ups depending on feasibility.
Some stores are already making aggressive moves in protecting everyone. As reported by Business Insider, Nordstrom and Macy's, among others, will close some of their fitting rooms and temporarily quarantine items that have been tried on before returning them to the sales floor. The Gap has joined fast fashion giant, H&M’s plans to forgo the use of fitting rooms altogether. But are allowing customers more flexible exchange and return policies.
Impressive Visuals at Veronica Beard-FEBRUARY 2020
Lovely visual display window at the Veronica Beard shop on 5th avenue. Another key part to shopping for me is seeing all the creativity that can go into bringing a brand's vision to life. Creativity has to drive every decision as we reopen our stores. A great merchandised display can speak volumes to your customer.
Reach out and Touch...not so much! As I said in my last chapter, connection is a vital part of building and maintaining strong relationships with your customers. Even more so when customers are able to re-enter stores. Nothing is worse than a customer that feels ignored and not cared for, and now we’re trying to connect while wearing masks and staying far apart.
Imagine it-you're waiting in line to get into your favorite store for a BIG Corona-virus sale - 80% off - you are excited with the built-up energy you’ve held in. You’ve been under quarantine for 3 months, social energy is pouring out of your fingertips, and Donald’s stimulus check finally hit your bank account. You have your mask on and even those black plastic gloves that everyone has told you, “Oh my gosh! amazing, I didn’t know they came in black!” and then all of a sudden, you’re finally allowed to get into the store. You find a cute dress but you look to see the size. It's too big! But when you look for the sales associates they are all at the checkout counter afraid to interact with you and fellow customers, and you lose interest.
Honestly, I can't blame them in this current environment. But one can see the dilemma. Retail leaders will need to be prepared to thoroughly train their staff to be empathetic, proactive, and engaged with the needs of their customers. All while focusing on keeping proper distances. Managers will need to direct their staff on keeping eye contact and actively listening. I would also urge them to be responsible for securing sales staff with additional protective equipment and incentive pay as we move forward in the early stages of opening stores.
While having a lens into the shopping environment is mostly at a standstill in states hit hard by the pandemic like New York- other places have opened and we are seeing what the future of retail might appear to be like. China was first to get back into the swing of things but unfortunately has seen slow returns. Shoppers remain concerned about health risks and economic insecurity after months of lockdown and just aren’t feeling engaged and safe enough while shopping. About 85% of Chinese retailers are open, but sadly only seeing 30% of their former foot traffic.
In contrast, Germany as a whole has seen a bit more optimism in opening retail spaces. Mostly due to the active response Chancellor Angela Merkel took in securing the country. Germany’s progress showed that combining science-led political leadership, widespread testing, and social distancing could allow for a controlled reopening. I think this approach allowed Germany’s citizens to trust their system more than others, allowing citizens to feel more confident to re-enter the retail environment.
Closer to home, southern cities in the US are opening and some never closed and are seeing customers return cautiously. I recently had a chat with a colleague, Brandi, who works at Target in Gainesville Georgia. Target is the US’s 8th largest retailer and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Brandi mentioned that people are already shopping again! They have been in the house for so long and can’t wait to shop. Brandi also shared with me that she has done quite a bit of shopping herself in the last few weeks, visiting retailers for big bonus sales. She did a special feature on her Instagram blog showing all her amazing buys. Check her out on Instagram @the_hungry_fashionista_atl
And, to close with a teaser, I will be having a chat with her later this month on Instagram Live to speak more in-depth with her on the effects of the pandemic in her region of the US. Follow me on Instagram for the date and time! Stay tuned!