RETAILOBSERVER.COM JUNE 2020
4
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com
Reinventing the way we do business…
JUNE 2020, VOLUME 31, ISSUE 6
CELEBRATING OUR 31
ST
YEAR
AS
THE RETAIL OBSERVER
PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
E LIANA BARRIGA
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
MOE LASTFOGEL
ART DIRECTOR
TERRY PRICE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
RANDY CARNEY
MARIO JUAREZ
JOHN LAING
PAUL MAC DONALD
STEVEN MORRIS
STEPHEN PACZKOWSKI
JOHN TSCHOHL
LIBBY WAGNER
ALAN WOLF
DOUG WREDE
COVER PHOTO:
TREVE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY
DEADLINE FOR AUGUST 2020 ISSUE:
JULY 1, 2020
THE RETAIL OBSERVER
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THE RETAIL
I
don't know about you, but the surreal world we find ourselves living in at the
moment certainly is keeping us on our toes, dancing to the tune of a new
jig. "On the fly" thinking is an extremely valuable and necessary skill to have
or to be developing at this time. Thinking fast and taking quick action is the
name of the game here now. This is what will keep our businesses relevant and
profitable. It's time to come up with sustainable ways of doing business now,
as well as into the future.
As a consumer, I have noticed that many websites are outdated, and even
more sites are not adapting their selling strategies to fit the rapidly changing
climate. This adaptation is essential to help customers navigate the purchase
of goods and services sold by your establishment, whether the doors are
currently open or closed. People are too stressed with daily life right now to be
frustrated by the purchase and delivery process they want and need from you.
When the experience is seamless, the stress levels stay low, encouraging
return sales as well as referrals.
Take Panera Bread's recent solution, for example. They were classified as a
restaurant and deemed non-essential when the stay-at-home order came
down. Panera's chief decision makers noted that grocery stores were deemed
essential, so they added a grocery store to their business model and packaged
their meals, produce, bread and began delivering these products via local
delivery services, in addition to curb-side pickup. They also are selling these
products in local grocery stores nationwide. With a revamped, beautiful, and
very user-friendly website, ordering from Panera is now super easy to receive
their yummy food, delivered right to your home, hassle free.
I know there are a lot of inspirational examples of businesses working within
the confines of the crisis, finding creative ways to succeed. Do you have a
story you'd like to tell? We would like to highlight these stories in future issues,
so please write to us and share what you are doing to not only survive, but to
actually thrive in 2020!
RE-IMAGINING THE
CUSTOMER
JOURNEY
Keeping services relevant
amidst uncertainty
Elle's View As I See It
