Updated 3/2/2021 The rolling out of the new COVID-19 vaccines is changing the consumer economic outlook for the better. According to the New York Times database, new COVID cases continue to decrease with each passing day. During the week of February 7-13, there was an average of 91,130 cases per day, a decrease of 39 […]
Editors Picks
March 2021 Issue of Independent Retailer Magazine is Available Now!
The March 2021 Issue of Independent Retailer Magazine. Check out more timely Product Trends, News, and Marketing tips as they are added to our website here:
New PPP Loans for Businesses with 20 Employees or Less
The Biden administration announced five major changes in the Payroll Protection Program this week to make access to PPP loans more equitable, which could make a big difference for small businesses. Starting February 24, 2021, the U.S. Small Business Administration will begin accepting applications for PPP loans exclusively for businesses under 20 employees and sole […]
What Retailers Can Expect From Post-COVID Consumers
COVID-19 has changed virtually everything about retail. Retailers may never before have considered operating their business without a single customer inside of their store, and yet, this is now reality for retailers in states facing restrictions or total lockdowns. Despite such radical changes, certain trends that existed before COVID-19 remain the same.. For example, customers […]
De-escalation Help Offered for Retail Employees Amid COVID Challenges
by Crisis Prevention Institute Anxiety continues to rise among the general public amid the relentless COVID-19 pandemic. Preparing retail staff early will help ease tensions in-store and provide better customer service going into the annual peak shopping season. Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) recently partnered with the NRF Foundation to develop training to prevent and de-escalate […]
COVID & Holiday Shopping Behaviors
As the summer continues to slip away and there’s still no end in sight for the pandemic, retailers have to truck on and start preparing for probably one of the most challenging holiday seasons we will come to know. Most retailers don’t know if what they’ve seen from shoppers since the onset of the pandemic […]
Three Great Examples of Results-Driven Checkout Processes
by Kayla Matthews The design of your checkout process can significantly impact how many customers make it through the sales funnel. Even subtle design decisions that make checkout slightly less convenient — like surprise fees, overly long forms and required account creation — can result in higher cart abandonment. That’s especially true toward the holiday […]
Meet the New Customer Demographic: C.A.R.L.Y.
Each generation of consumers have their own needs and desires as well as how they want those needs and desires to be promoted to them. Millennials brought about a lot of change in the retail industry, and with Gen Z having similar desires albeit slightly different, the consumer demographic as a whole has shifted entirely. […]
America Is Back In Business
Brick-and-mortar shops are slowly opening their doors. Restaurants and bars are now offering limited seating. Hair salons, nail salons, barbers, and doctors’ offices are also following suit. America is finally opening their doors and back in business. At this time, indie retailers are looking to restock their shelves to keep up with consumer demand. Even […]
The Grand Reopening: How Retailers Can Stay Ahead of COVID in the Months & Years Ahead
by Kevin Grauman The reopening of in-person commerce is finally a reality we can celebrate. Unfortunately, this pandemic is not over, and it may be months — or even longer — before we are in the clear. Until then, it is up to each store to maintain a safety standard that will allow for the […]
