Planning for a store reopening

 The National Retail Federation (NRF) has created the Operation Open Doors Checklist to provide “guidance from members and subject matter experts [that] is intended to highlight key topics to consider as retailers seek to reopen operations.” This covers everything from transitioning employees from furlough and addressing government regulations to how to prepare the brick-and-mortar store for reopening, and more.

There are three top considerations:

1. Store employees: The likelihood that all employees are going to return to work at the same time are very slim. So a retailer should identify who is coming back, when they are coming back and what the transition plan will look like.

Designating a “return to work” team is a great way to make sure you have a centralized group focused on HR, IT and health and safety. Employees are also likely going to need a fair amount of training on the new operating procedures and instructions for keeping themselves and customers as safe as possible.

2. Operations and inventory: Deciding how to open will need to be a very organized process. How will you adjust business hours? How will you limit the amount of people in the store? What happens if there is a reported case or outbreak? Managing inventory is also going to be a challenge because it’s likely that the inventory is out-of-season from when you were last open.

3. Health and safety: One of the most challenging tasks will be creating a safety plan that all employees and shoppers follow. To enforce social distancing, staff will need to be trained, you’ll need to create signage and add markers on floors showing people where to stand. You'll also need to determine if you’ll require masks for shoppers and, if so, how to handle shoppers who come in without masks. You’ll also need a detailed cleaning schedule and a designated team to carry out sanitization.

For U.S. retailers, NRF has also assembled Coronavirus Retail Restrictions by state, which is updated daily. This map outlines coronavirus-related laws, executive orders, regulations and guidance for reopening stores.

Your reopening can be an opportunity to re-engage with customers and strengthen the brand loyalty relationship. But to strengthen that relationship, it's a good idea to put consumer expectations first. Here are some things to consider:

1. Communicate how you plan to open: Retailers want their customers’ first interactions with a re-opened store to be a positive one. If their experience is tarnished by not realizing a location is only open for curbside, for example, or not yet opened at all, they’re going to leave with a negative experience.

So, be thoughtful in how you plan to re-open and consider overcommunicating with your customers. For example, Apple was very explicit in how they planned to reopen their stores. When you visit their website, you can see all of the measures they’re taking to maintain a clean and safe store, as well as see the status of any of their stores. Making this information easy and available to customers is critical.

2. Don’t ditch e-commerce: You’ll be shifting gears back to brick-and-mortar operations, but don’t forget about digital. Having a solid e-commerce platform will still be essential to serving those consumers who aren’t ready to return to physical stores, while also helping continue to future-proof your operations.

Keeping Apple as the example, when you visit their “find a store” webpage, the first thing you’ll see is their re-opening approach. But directly underneath that is a notification that everything customers need is also available online, from products and services, to support and more. So even as they open their 506 retail stores, they’re still directing their consumers to an online experience. 

3. Consider offering deals: Consumers assume retailers will offer deals and promotions to drive traffic back to stores. So it’s a good idea to think about how you can entice a consumer to shop with you, online or in-store. A couple of examples of promotions include:

• Word-of-mouth incentives: If a consumer reviews your product or store, consider offering a percentage discount off their next purchase
  
• Social media promotions: Consider hosting a contest on your social channels to drive awareness of products or niche and build your social following
• Friends and family referrals: Consider offering vouchers for shoppers referred by friends and family

Understandably, we’re seeing a rise in e-commerce and social media use as primary channels for shopping. This is an opportunity for retailers to build social commerce experiences to serve their customers. However, it’s important to not only understand your audience, but also the platforms they’re using.

• Advertise your opening on social media: This may seem like the most obvious of suggestions, however, the likelihood of a customer checking a local retail store for opening schedules is very low. Rather than waiting for customers to come to you, consider going to your customers. Start by directly advertising your opening dates, hours and any promotions to customers via social media.
• Influencer action: Before making a purchase decision, consumers talk to their friends and influencers—not the retailer; in fact, 1 in 4 millennials and Gen Z shoppers look for Instagram stories before buying a product and service. 
  Influencer marketing means collaborating with an online influencer to market a product or service—or in this case, a reopening. Influencers provide consumers in your target niche with an instant connection to a brand, and this tactic, coupled with strong content, can help you reach your audience.
• Drive additional sales: Social shopping has become increasingly popular and can be a key way to drive additional revenue. Alicia Solanki, who is the consumer brands managing director at communications consultancy Ketchum, stated that, “While Instagram may be the right channel for fashion and beauty, consider the way Pinterest has become the go-to for home and interiors inspiration.” 

Snapchat just announced their rollout of dynamic ads with big retailers like Adidas. According to Rob Seidu, Adidas’s senior director of media activation in Europe, the sports giant saw a 52% growth in ROI versus normal Snapchat spend after running the e-commerce ads.