VMSD - July/August 2020 - 12
b y B R YA N D Y C H E S | c o n t r i b u t i n g w r i t e r
COVID-19:
Can We
Make Retail
Great Again?
Tips for retailers in communicating
safety to their customers.
D
uring the past few months since I
attended EuroShop in Düsseldorf, Germany,
the world and our profession has seen a
seismic shift in everything we held normal
and believed to be our future. I had no idea when
I flew home to Los Angeles in late February that
I would not return to my office for months, not
attend upcoming events in person and not be able
to go shop at my favorite stores here in Southern
California where I reside. Welcome to the new paradigm of COVID-19, where the "Next Store" mantra
has taken on a whole new meaning.
12 JULY/AUGUST 2020
|
vmsd.com
It should be said that if you review this column's archives you'll find
plenty of information that is still relevant and should not be thrown out
for fear it's out of date. From tech advances at CES earlier this year to
the innovations brought to light in the EuroShop column, the resources
discussed can and will bring solutions ideal to post-COVID retail.
Our industry resources/suppliers have many tools to help us
"rethink" the physical experience. To answer the question posed in the
headline: Can we make retail great again? Yes. It's actually what we all
do quite well.
As a reader, you know that I've worked in the multidisciplinary
architectural and design space for most of my career, and I'm a
champion of applying technology to customer environments as well as
to the way we produce architectural documents. For this issue, I'd like
to share some ideas on how to make customers returning to your stores
more comfortable and help ensure that, regardless of a vaccine, you're
prepared now and forever.
The Customer Journey
What's changed? The obvious is that we're all now familiar with the
term "social distancing." Retailers have explored ways to communicate
to shoppers new social distancing protocols including how to queue
in the checkout to maintain the recommended 6-foot gap and how to
navigate "one-way" aisles in big box and grocery stores.
Most of what I saw initially looked amateur and was not within the
brand standard - understandable at the beginning of the pandemic.
However, remember that this matters to your customer! While we all
appreciate the pressures, and in many cases the need to act quickly,
what must remain first and foremost is that customer experience is
rooted in confidence. Seeing blue tape on the floor versus proper vinyl
three months into this situation makes the customer question the
quality of measures the merchant is undertaking to keep them safe.
s hut te r st oc k
NEXT STORE
http://www.vmSd.com
VMSD - July/August 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - July/August 2020
VMSD - July/august 2020
Contents
From the Editor
Vmsd Editorial Advisory Board
The Goods
Next Store
Spellbound
No Monkey Business
Bringing the Outside In
Take Me Home
Showroom
Ad Index
Checking Out
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Intro
VMSD - July/August 2020 - VMSD - July/august 2020
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Cover2
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 1
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Contents
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 3
VMSD - July/August 2020 - From the Editor
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 5
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Vmsd Editorial Advisory Board
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 7
VMSD - July/August 2020 - The Goods
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 9
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 10
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 11
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Next Store
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 13
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Spellbound
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 15
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 16
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 17
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 18
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 19
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 20
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 21
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 22
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 23
VMSD - July/August 2020 - No Monkey Business
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 25
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Bringing the Outside In
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 27
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 28
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 29
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Take Me Home
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 31
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 32
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Showroom
VMSD - July/August 2020 - 34
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Ad Index
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Checking Out
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Cover3
VMSD - July/August 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/vmsd_201105
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com