How To Restore & Maintain Retail Consumer Trust Beyond The Pandemic

Despite the recent lockdowns and store closures all around the world, people still prefer an in-person shopping experience. Consumers need to shop for necessities like groceries, hardware and home goods, electronics to support in-home entertainment needs and stock their home offices.

 

Adjusting to the new normal can be uncomfortable for people as they learn to maintain a safe social distance while surrounded by mask-wearing strangers. Shoppers want to trust that retailers are taking active measures to keep customers and staff safe.

 

 

First, retailers need to understand just how much shopper routines have been disrupted. Recent research found that 85% of consumers are staying home, except when leaving for necessary reasons like food or work, around 63% of shoppers are avoiding shopping in physical stores, and 58% said that grocery stores have a responsibility to help combat the spread of the virus.

This growing anxiety among consumers, coupled with the increased demand for many essential items, is prompting shoppers to try new brands, products, services, and features like Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store (BOPIS), curbside, and home delivery.

 

Despite all the safety concerns, however, many consumers look forward to having an in-person shopping experience, and still prefer to shop and browse in physical stores online. This can be attributed to the fact that shopping in physical locations allows consumers to enjoy the human element of interacting with employees and asking questions about the products or services.

 

Due to the changing retail landscape and consumers, businesses are being asked to quickly adapt and put COVID-19 safety measures in place to ensure customers’ and staff’s safety, but how can this be achieved cost-effectively while also standing out amongst the competition?

 

Retail stores have been among the first businesses to roll out detailed safety plans. Face masks and health screenings are a must for employees. Store layouts will be adjusted to create more space and promote a one-way visitor traffic flow. Store occupancy capacity should be limited according to the store size. Stores should be cleaned frequently, and hand sanitizers should be liberally available for everyone.

 

In addition to the basic safety precautions of the usual face masks and temperature checks, many shopping malls and retail stores are utilizing people counting devices and retail analytics solutions to provide extra protection and reassurance for their customers.

 

The real-time occupancy solution from V-Count, for example, is among the most sought-after solutions even beyond the pandemic. Its ease of use and installation makes it an ideal solution for any business looking to go that extra mile when it comes to safety and consumer trust.

 

Occupancy sensors send data to the business intelligence cloud platform connected to digital screens at stores’ entrances. These screens display the occupancy numbers of people inside in real-time, in addition to customized messages to let customers know whether it is safe or not to enter. Staff can also stay informed with email and mobile alerts when occupancy capacity thresholds are reached; this limits their potential exposure and keeps them safe.

 

Another benefit offered by occupancy solutions is facility management. Retailers can monitor and manage their occupancy limits for separate zones within the store or building, like washrooms, changing rooms, elevators, etc. to optimize sanitization depending on customer traffic; this feature ensures that every space or surface is clean at all times.

 

For stores looking into redesigning their store layout to minimize risks, heatmap analysis allows stores to grasp their visitors’ flow within the store, which areas attract them the most, what products they search for, and what motivates them to purchase.