In one of his recent blog posts, retail consultant Bob Phibbs shared creative ideas retailers are trying to survive periods of reduced shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
Though online shopping poses serious threats to traditional stores during the outbreak, shoppers find faults shopping online, he writes. The main complaints tend to be rates of returns of up to 40%, difficulty navigating websites and being charged to ship returned merchandise.
A few of the creative ideas being practiced by brick and mortar stores include:
- Tractor Supply, which provides contact tracing in its 1,700 stores, distribution centers and support centers. The company wants to quickly know who someone came in contact with so that they pick up where government has left off.
- Target posts many instructional signs in its parking lots to help shoppers learn how to pick up items in the store that were purchased earlier online. The signs include instructions on where to park to use the service and how to download Target’s app.
- Nordstrom has debuted a social media influencer campaign that promotes instore safety precautions. The company recently hired Instagram influencers to visit and take photos inside its flagship New York City flagship store that showed everyone wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
