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Commentary
Gradual Reopening of The Singapore Economy and Its Impacts On The Retail Industry
2 Oct 2020
Commentary
Over the past few months, there has been a collective change in lifestyles in Singapore due to the limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the recent announcement of a possible reopening of the economy as we move on to Phase 3 of the global pandemic as a result of a general decrease in COVID patients, it is speculated that the drastic impacts of the pandemic on the economy and market can be eased with business operations going back to usual. According to Education Minister Lawrence Wong, employees and employers may be able to return to the workplace with the gradual relaxation of borders and opening up of activities. Additionally, travel to safe countries could also be a possibility. Relaxation of rules around dining and visitations will also be part of the progressive steps the government will be taking as we approach Phase 3. Wedding receptions and prayer services at places of worship will now be permitted with up to 100 attendees. Despite the relaxation of these restrictions, safe distancing measures will still be enforced. For employers returning to the workplace, the time of stay should only be within less than half the working time. Additionally, split teams and shift arrangements must continue to be implemented, with each team confined to a specific working place. Conferences and seminars will only be allowed up to a capacity of 50, depending on the venue. As such, safe distancing and safe management measures should still be observed during this period to prevent large clusters from forming. As the country gradually eases into a new phase of the pandemic situation, retail shopping at physical stores may once again become a norm with the increase in people patronizing physical stores as a result of relaxed regulations. In this light, online shopping for retail brands could also decrease as some consumers may prefer to make in-store purchases, especially for luxury goods and fresh produce. Coupled with other schemes in place, namely the Singaporediscovers vouchers scheme, Singaporeans are encouraged to visit and spend at tourism sites, which will boost the retail scene and the economy in general by channeling these funds back into the market. With the increase in traffic and the increase in purchasing power as a result of payouts from the government under various schemes, sales in physical stores are expected to increase in Phase 3....
How Retailers Create a Safe Shopping Environment For Shoppers in 2020
25 Sep 2020
Commentary
As the world is adjusting to the new changes that are brought about by the pandemic, economies from Europe to Asia are starting to find ways they can safely reopen their local economies. Along with them, businesses are adjusting to help as well – food and beverage businesses are used to preparing for more takeaway orders and adjusting the floor space for safety distancing measures. Meanwhile, retail stores have been stepping up their game, making new changes to create a safe shopping environment for shoppers during the new normal! Controlling Crowd or ‘Shopper’ Densities In Stores For the most part, many retail stores have shifted their focus from attracting more customers and creating a better traffic flow of shoppers through their stores instead. Meaning, retail stores are all about making sure that their floor space is well, spacious, enough to have a smooth flow of interested shoppers coming through their store. If space is not an advantage the retail store has, crowd control is also done by limiting the number of shoppers allowed to enter the retail store at any point in time. There is no sure way of ensuring how fast you can make the line of shoppers go before they feel like their shopping experience is complete, but what retail shops do to ensure safety as they do so is making sure that crowd density within their stores is kept low! Giving Shoppers More Space and Visual Reminders of Safety Distancing Measures Aside from controlling the density of shoppers within retail stores during the pandemic, lots of stores have adapted to putting reminders and markers within their stores for safety distancing measures. This includes putting distance markers on the floor to indicate how far they should queue from the person behind or in front of them when they make their purchase. To add on, store fixtures as well as product placement within retail stores have been adjusted to give more space for shoppers to navigate to reduce crowding during shopping as well. Prompting More Efficient Shopping Habits And Increased Cleaning In Stores Store fixtures and product placements within retail stores have also been altered to deliver a more efficient way towards shopping in stores. Drugstore’s store fixtures for example have placed more ‘grab-and-go’ points at the front entrance of their stores so that it will facilitate a faster shopping experience for customers who have a specific product in mind to buy. In addition to that, increased cleaning in retail stores is implemented too. Many retail stores such as UNIQLO have also implemented the policy of disinfecting the store area everyday especially in high-contact areas during shopping, such as locker rooms, hanging fixtures, and more. LUSH has adopted the stance of a ‘no-touch’ policy for their displayed products on their store fixtures to avoid the risk of infection for their shoppers. Instead, their retail staff is trained to be more attentive instead of the other needs of their shoppers. LUSH employees will also offer the use of a gentle hand wash product upon entry by shoppers instead of the usual alcohol-based sanitizers as well!...
Maximization of In-Store Sanitation For Shoppers
18 Sep 2020
Commentary
As the world emerges into the new decade, there have been a few major world events that either disrupted or changed the way people live – one of such events being the Covid19 pandemic. The severe impacts of the global pandemic on human health and society as a whole have since compelled people to adapt to new lifestyles, new routines, and new ways of running businesses. In a global consumer research, various statistics have shown how the lives of consumers have been changed radically in response to the pandemic with the heightened awareness of the need for social distance and prioritization of hygiene. For example, there has been a sharp decline in patronizing customers in retail stores for fear of exposure to the infectious virus since the early stages of the pandemic. As a result, such a phenomenon has caused many retail stores to close down due to the drastic decline in sales coupled with the high cost of operation, forcing retailers to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic. To tackle this issue of breeding anxiety among shoppers, retail stores have adopted protocols that will serve to ensure the cleanliness of stores as well as the safety of shoppers. A few of such includes safe distancing measures, re-allocation of manpower, and in-store sanitation for shoppers. Among these measures, maximizing in-store sanitation is the most crucial in ensuring that the store can be kept virus-free at all times as it serves as both a preventive measure and a countermeasure against the spread of viruses in retail stores. In-store sanitation measures through the use of fixtures and technology that have been put in place by retailers Following the end of phase one, many retailers have re-opened their stores as soon as possible to keep their businesses thriving. One of the effective ways retail businesses have adopted to ensure the safety of shoppers is the reconfiguration of spaces by using glass partitions to facilitate social distancing and product isolation. According to a news report, these glass partitions have been installed around cashier counters and product displays to minimize contact between staff and shoppers. Products tested such as clothing and shoes will also be isolated for up to 24 hours before placing them back on racks. In some retail stores, products will only be allowed to be handled by staff as a way to prevent transmission of the virus. Furthermore, retailers worldwide have also introduced the use of disinfecting mats to keep retail stores and offices virus-free. Generally, when one thinks of sanitation, the first thing that comes to mind is the sanitization of hands and the wearing of gloves and masks. But one aspect of sanitation that many have neglected is the sanitation of shoes as people may not realize that shoes are also among one of the most common virus carriers. A recent study by the Center for Disease Control suggests that virus droplets landed on the ground are often being walked over and carried to other areas on shoes. Even in highly sanitized settings such as the pharmacy and medical labs, traces of viruses have been detected from shoes that belong to the patrons of these places. Hence, disinfecting mats have become a solution for many retailers to curb this problem, by letting staff and shoppers walk on disinfecting mats before entering the stores which help to ensure that no traces of viruses will be carried into the retail stores. At Futuristic, we have also launched several hygiene stations as fixtures and products that help to create a safe communal environment within retail shops. The Futuristic Care Suite, a sophisticated hygiene station, is designed for COVID and post-COVID use to optimize business operations with ease. Integrated with a highly sophisticated technology that includes an auto hand sanitizer dispenser, face recognition and temperature detector, mask compartment, tissue compartment, and a waste bin, the Futuristic Care Suite is able to detect if one is wearing a mask and if one has a fever. As such, the hygiene station will advise the user on the steps they should take before entering the premise, such as “please sanitize your hand and put on a face mask.” Future trends in the retail industry As we start to get used to the new modes of living adopted and adapted during this period of trying times, the various changes in retail and consumer habits observed during this period will continue to manifest in the near future. As such, the new introduction of measures to ensure and prioritize hygiene will soon become the new normal in the industry. One such example includes highly automated systems in stores that will come to facilitate many of the sanitizing duties that are now carried out by staff. Staff-less retail stores may also be popularized in the near future, with store duties carried out by fixtures integrated with technology....
3 Ways COVID-19 Has Changed The Retail Scene Globally
10 Sep 2020
Commentary
The methods that have been adopted by brick-and-mortar stores to survive beyond the pandemic Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, this collective event has changed the way consumers shop – the enactment of strict lockdown policies, safety distancing measures as well as the provision of round-the-clock sanitization services for retail outlets even after the lockdown policies have lifted marks several changes in the global retail industry as a whole. Retail stores in general, due to the lack of shoppers or online presence, were forced to shutter their physical stores. Esprit, for example, closed all 56 stores in Asia outside mainland China. As a result, more brick-and-mortar retailers begin to migrate their operations online as more shoppers turn to online shopping due to safety distancing measures and the rise of telecommuting. However, this does not mean the complete end for physical retail stores. There are three main changes to the retail industry due to the pandemic. The migration towards a growing online presence is one of the three fundamental shifts to the retail scene. The other two shifts are the revitalization of the pop-up scene and the integration of physical and digital shopping in retail stores. Building Online Presence and Adapting to Policy Measures For Physical Retail Stores Many brick-and-mortar stores have since begun to prioritize the need to build their online presence by introducing e-commerce services and the option to shop for their products online. For example, BHG is planning to start its online store. Indie brands in the skincare and cosmetics industry have also adapted by spending more on online advertising and creating engaging promotional materials on social media to attract more shoppers online. Store fixtures have also been altered slightly to improve the state of safety for both retailers and shoppers. For example, protective shields are added at the cashier counter when payment is made. Product testers especially for cosmetics have also since been revamped into tiny packages that shoppers can bring home since test-swatching is not allowed to contain the potential spread of COVID-19. Revitalization of The Pop-up Scene Setting up pop-up stores and complementing it with a growing online presence has been one of the methods retail brands have used to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Benefits offered by pop-ups include more flexible operations for retailers and the space to ‘play by ear’ with the easy assembly of fixtures with pop-ups. Thus, this provides shoppers still with the irreplaceable social experience that they do enjoy but converted to a ‘micro’ one when digital tools such as QR codes are used to provide more product information at the pop-up booth as compared to a physical retail assistant. Payment would be done cashless as well, via quick card payment or QR codes that require minimal contact from the personnel manning the pop-up stall. Essentially, the use of the physical pop-up stores will have certain aspects of the shopping experience digitized to ensure retail shopper’s safety as well as complement the measures in place to combat COVID-19. Integration of Physical and Digital Shopping Experience This concept was first adopted by the first Taobao shop in Singapore at Funan mall in 2019. In summary, retail shoppers at the Taobao shop were able to touch, feel, and interact with their desired merchandise before purchasing them online. These merchandises were home living products consisting of kitchen appliances, furniture, and homeware appliances of notable brands such as Xiaomi. Using QR codes, retail shoppers were able to obtain additional information on the electrical appliances, furniture, and homeware that they were interested in. Store refresh programs or actions are implemented to improve the retail store’s layout in line with COVID-19 measures. Overall, as the retail industry continues to adapt to the pandemic, many brands have followed this path as well to retain shopper traffic via the seamless integration between physical and digital commerce. For example, from late August to late September 2020, Lancôme has debuted its very first ‘virtual’ pop-up store in Singapore, that promises an immersive retail experience for their consumers where they can explore the renowned skincare brand’s flagship store from the comfort of their homes. If you are in retail and would love to know how you can revamp your physical store that adapts and evolves with the ‘new normal’, Futuristic can offer valuable insights with our team of experienced engineers and designers on how best can you revamp or refresh your current store fixtures to complement the changes brought on to the retail business by the pandemic. For more information, visit our ‘Contact Us’ page or get in touch by sending us your business inquiries at contact@futuristicgroup.com!...
