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-19
Top Hiring Strategies Ahead of the COVID-19 Holiday Season
Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas are coming up fast, and major retailers such as Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart are already changing their holiday store operations this year due to COVID-19. To accommodate these new operations, like increased pick-up and delivery options for customers, store managers will need extra hands on deck. Preparing for […]
Remain Mindful of ADA Mask Policies
by Nicole Smith Protecting customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic is now, more than ever, a top concern for retail businesses. Many retailers have instituted mandatory face mask policies pursuant to federal and state guidelines. In doing so, retailers should also consider reasonable accommodations for those who cannot wear a mask due to a […]
Social Distancing Stickers: Building Brands, Saving Lives
by Andrew Witkin The past few months have been anything but normal. In order to keep individuals safe from COVID-19, governments have implemented strict guidelines on many aspects of everyday life. Everyone’s lives have been disrupted in some way, but the pandemic has also allowed us to get back to basics, where we can appreciate […]
State Regulations for In-Store Shopping
Updated 9/29/20 In the wake of the reopening of brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide, business owners have been forced to keep up with the state by state requirements in order to keep their storefronts open to the public. Independent Retailer has curated a list of the regulations in each state, as well as links to official government […]
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 […]
Post-COVID-19 Commerce Will be a Hybrid Between Digital & Face-to-Face
by DK Hardware Even before the confinement, society was ready to make its purchases online. 96.7 percent of internet users searched for information on prices, characteristics, and opinions of products, and 36 percent actually bought online. Art Goldman, DK Hardware’s CFO, shares his thoughts on what worldwide commerce will look like after the pandemic. How […]
Mask Mandates: Tips for De-Escalation & Voluntary Compliance
Many U.S. states are mandating that brick-and-mortar businesses must require face masks for all guests and employees to keep everyone safe. As comforting as this may sound for those looking to make their customers feel safe while shopping in store, many consumers do not want to wear masks and are causing scenes inside of stores. […]
How to Sync Up Your Pricing with Shoppers’ Pandemic-Driven Price Sensitivity
by Geoff Pofahl In the COVID-19 era, rates of unemployment skyrocketed to unprecedented levels at breakneck speeds. Others were furloughed, faced reduced hours and pay, or were informed of across-the-board pay cuts. For many of those whose take-home has not yet been impacted, feelings of vulnerability and uncertainty are real and will likely persist for […]
Taking In-Store Experiences to a Whole New Level
Memorable in-store experiences have always been a top priority for retailers. How else are you supposed to differentiate your business from the others? With more consumers shopping from home and afraid to go out due to COVID-19, the pressure is higher than ever before for indie retailers to deliver exceptional in-store experiences. One small start-up […]
