Technology Trends that are Vital to the Retail Industry’s Future after this Pandemic

Technological innovations are our answer to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 outbreak. Today, there has been a big change on shopping, online experiences, and even in the way physical stores are expected by customers.

Technology is one of the remaining reasons why the retail industry is still running.  Here are some of the tech trends that are in demand today:

Fully Integrated POS Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic made many business owners realize the importance of e-commerce platforms in optimizing online sales processes. This is evident to the rise in the demand of E-Commerce-Friendly POS systems which help retailers to sell online.

Business owners are now handling multiple sales channels such as brick-and-mortar and e-stores. But they must sync both online and offline transactions, inventory, and promotions. This is where, e-commerce and POS integration will be an optimal solution both during and after the pandemic.

Augmentation in Shopping

When almost everyone was forced to isolate due to COVID-19 quarantine, there was an increase observed in the demand for technologies such as virtual fitting rooms. It seems that the outbreak made augmented shopping an ideal choice for customers because it allows them to interact with products online.

Several brands already opened their own virtual showrooms and fitting rooms to let customers try on products in virtual spaces. Certain businesses also made use of apps to help their customers have a vision of what new furniture will look like in their home.

There are also some systems that are already showing significant potential for the future of augmented shopping. Some allows shoppers to see the look of virtual items when placed on the physical surfaces while some creates realistic interactions between virtual and real goods.

Non-Staff and Cashier-Free Stores

This might not seem good for workers and staff, but if we think about it, social distancing is an efficient measure to prevent coronavirus infection. So, stores that are cashier-less and staff-free are ideal in a society where being too close to someone can get you sick. It does not apply to everything yet though. But for sure it is considerable for many businesses.

Some studies also revealed that there is a change in the shopping habits of customers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in fact, they showed that customers would rather go to stores with contactless or self-checkout stores. This is also expected to give way to the integration of tools that enables digitalization.

Systems that doesn’t require any account or app to be installed would be much convenient for customers because it does not need much effort and it is as close as people can get to going in, grabbing something, paying for it, and leaving out of a store.

Checkout-less transactions

This is where credit and debit card users can automatically pay for their purchases when they leave the store. This is made possible by systems that track items being put on physical carts by the customers, so it is like having a virtual cart. The customer can then just leave after completing the purchase as it will be paid automatically.

This COVID-19 pandemic has brought us all down to our knees, but on a positive note, it opened many opportunities for us to improve in what we do. It just means that in any problem, we can always find a way to learn and develop so we can overcome what’s in front of us.

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Is there a future for the fashion industry amid COVID-19?

Looking good and being fashionable is the last thing that people would want during this time where there is an ongoing pandemic.  This explains why there is a significant decline in sales for fashion retailers starting March.

For people who lost their jobs or closed their businesses due to travel restrictions and physical distancing, non-essential items such as luxurious clothing, jewelries, and cosmetics are off the list.

But there’s hope in e-commerce because even though social events where dressing up is required are canceled, there is still a huge percentage of people who are continuing with their regular purchases. This increases the chance for the fashion industry to get through this crisis. This is if brands within this sector will be more creative, innovative, and digital.

There are some product sectors that are seeing an improvement, this includes Casual Clothing, Beauty, Lingerie, Athletics and sportswear, and Footwear.

Casual Clothing

Buying a new outfit is still considerable for many because people are still able to enjoy staycations, sleepovers, and indoor picnics. Some who are spending their days working or studying at home are also more likely to have the urge of buying new wardrobe. This shows that people still want to look presentable and comfortable even when they are just being seen by their peers virtually.

Beauty and Health

There may be a decrease in the number of people spending on beauty and cosmetics, but more than half are spending the same. While a significant increase is being seen on the number of Gen Zs and Millenial consumers.

Health products such as vitamins, alcohol, and sanitizers are also on the rise since this is a health-related crisis. While when it comes to more luxurious items, there are a number of people who are trying to lift up their mood during these difficult times by treating themselves with joy-enhancing products such as pieces of make up or cologne.

Lingerie

More and more brick-and-mortar stores are transferring to e-commerce, so it is becoming easier and more convenient for people to browse and check-out items. Seems like people who loves bikinis are still hoping to have a wonderful summer even when indoors with their lingerie.

Athletics and sportswear

Not because people are confined in their homes doesn’t mean they will just miss their daily workout routines. In fact, many consumers are more eager to compensate for all the steps they lost from walking since they are stuck at home. So, they are trying different workouts and exercises. That is what pushes them to buy athletic and sports gear which can help them maintain their good physique.

Footwear

This sector owes the increase in its sales to the younger generation who are showing motivation in purchasing products online. It seems that for Generation Zs and Millennials, there is no good or bad time for products including footwears. But experts see that this attitude has something to do with their excitement to go out and do what they usually do when everything is still fine.

Perhaps these youngsters have already planned all their night outs for when this pandemic is over. So they are now hoarding new jewelries, clothing, and footwear so they can flaunt their fashion when it’s already safe to go out.

The COVID-19 outbreak is a defining moment for brick and mortar stores. We cannot say for certain if their operations can still recover especially now that the shift to e-commerce has already showed consumers how shopping online is more appropriate for a post-COVID world.

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Lessons that Retailers should learn from this crisis

Before the world is torn apart by another health crisis, people should already learn from this coronavirus pandemic to be better in overcoming the challenges that they will face. Not only health professionals and government officials but also business leaders and owners should learn their lessons so they can carry the weight of their responsibilities.

Retailers should set their priorities straight. Keeping their employees safe is first and foremost. Establishing good, centralized communications should come next, and last but not the least, stabilizing their operations to ensure smooth recovery.

Here are some post-crisis strategies focused on taking immediate and decisive action.

Identify the essentials – In order to effectively operate remotely, retailers should lead proactively. A perfect example of this is by knowing that the well-being of their employees is ultimately important nowadays. They should also use strategies that will help motivate their employees’ efficiency and productivity. There are different channels that they can utilize such as Skype, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts Chat, Zoom, etc.) to establish real-time, constant communications, and conduct regular goal setting with their employees.

Learn to have Adaptability – By always being ready for change and knowing that the list of priorities in your operations could change almost daily, one would easily know how to overcome sudden challenges with zero to minimal collateral damage. It is easier to plan and implement solutions if versatile and flexible systems are in place instead of having permanent ones which require even larger and harder adjustments.

Embrace an Agile Mindset – Large firms should apply this strategy not only for software development, but also for its other departments such as sales, operations, and marketing. Leaders should take the initiative of identifying what practices should continue and what should be immediately stopped. Anything that hinders the search for ways to know what is best for the customers should be eliminated immediately.

Have a balanced response in the different parts of your business – The new normal in the retail industry is not only about centralizing communications, attending to the employees’ needs, having work from home set up, and stabilizing the supply chain. It is also about effective business monitoring/forecasting. The marketing/sales alignment across all operations particularly customer support should be balanced and regularly reassessed to make sure everything is going according to plan.

Change your guiding principles – Retailers should focus on promoting diversity, modularity, evolvability, cautiousness, and collective understanding within their company and among their employees. Everyone should be inspired to have a modular way of problem solving and diverse thinking. This pandemic requires us all to go beyond our usual way of thinking and think of more creative and effective ways to help those around us. 

Put the next crisis in mind: As much as we want to be positive and hopeful, we know that it is best if we expect that there’s a bigger one coming after this global problem because that makes us appreciate the value of scenario planning. It urges retailers to come up with contingency plans that will effectively minimize risks. All efforts should be dispensed in identifying critical paths and preparing backup plans to minimize future disruptions and boost cross-functional team proficiencies.

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OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND: The Power of POP Displays to put products into the spotlight

It is believed that majority of consumers impulse buy and it is partly caused by well-designed display. But it is still a wonder how a POP display can make one item stand out among hundreds to thousands of products that are showcased on retail store shelves.

POP displays are there to put attention on products and brands that people do not initially intend to buy. But in order to do so, retailers must make the display so appealing that the product becomes worthy of considering and buying. This means before POP displays can bring your product front and center into your customers’ minds, it must first give them fast facts and visual cues that will make a purchase decision in favor of your product.

Making POP Displays doesn’t have to be so complicated. Even with basic materials, you can create a striking and effective display as long as it has an eye-catching and informative design. This is true for small to medium business that only needs a simple design.

As to why POP displays make products so captivating for customers who are waiting in the checkout area, it can be because it serves as a trigger to the impulsiveness that consumers are hiding within them all the time.

It is interesting that within the little time they spend waiting to complete their transaction, they still become desperate to have something to look at while waiting, eventually just within seconds they become bored. This combined with the thought that they will be leaving soon gives them the urge to see if there’s something more they can grab. It’s like there’s a huge “Now’s the time to check if there’s something else you can buy or forever rest your peace” sign ringing within their heads. That’s the time a good POP display comes into play. If it’s attractive enough, soon it will be seeing customers grabbing and putting random stuff into their shopping cart.

The usual products that usually sell when on a POP display are those that are low-priced and are a bit smaller in size. It makes sense because these are the kind of products that you can easily throw in your cart at the last second without any hesitations. POP display items would also sell better when they have special promotions that will entice shoppers to buy.

Retailers should also keep in mind that it is ideal to place displays as close to eye-level as possible so it will be easier for customers to notice them. Whether they will be enticed and keep staring or whether they will look away is up to the quality of design. POP displays are really important in the retail business as it motivates an increase on customer engagements and contribute to the store’s overall sales through additional purchases.

POP Displays are really simple to understand. They help make products that are once on the sidelines get noticed by putting them into the most obvious place where customers can’t help but notice them. It’s don’t always work on all customers and on all items but as it goes along, there are lessons that can be learned to improve its quality and approach.

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How to Sell while Implementing Health and Safety Protocols

Retailers are now subjected to following social distancing rules and wearing of face masks. Selling good is never the same with the COVID-19 pandemic. It surely affected both consumers and store employees.

Since people are required to stay apart, customers experience may not be as pleasant anymore. So, retailers must think of ways to make up for it. There are also certain challenges that they must address and deal with, for them to safely and smoothly operate once they reopen.

1. Uncooperative Customers – You may meet objections to wearing face masks since not everybody believes in them no matter how hard experts try to explain about their importance. In these instances, you may have to politely ask them to leave if you are implementing a strict “no face mask no entry” policy.
2. Employees who are uncomfortable of wearing masks – You have to discuss with your employees if there’s any of them who is not comfortable with the mask so you can think of other alternatives such as face shields. This is to ensure that they will consistently comply, and they won’t endanger the safety of other employees and customers.
3. Employees may not be able to Engager Customers Properly – With some distance between them and the customers and masks covering their dace, some employees may not be effective in dealing and interacting with customers. They may need some guidance and training as remedy to this.
4. Customers may feel disconnected –Before, engaging with kind and welcoming employees entices customers to come back in a store. But now, without much human interaction, they may feel like trying another store next time, or to just shop online since it is more convenient, and the feeling is just the same. So, you must think of ways on how you can make them feel welcomed.

Whether you like it or not, the only way forward is to implement these safety regulations and adjust your marketing strategies while enforcing them. Here are some engagement tips that you can implement to your employees along with your chosen technologies and systems.

1. Make Customers Feel that You are Happy to See Them – With a face mask, it will seem impossible for employees to show people their smiles no matter how genuine it is. But there are other ways, the eyes can do it for them, or a simple joyful greeting will do. It is up to you as long as it will make the customers feel warmly welcomed.

2. Talk Clearly – Some customers can be easily and extremely frustrated when they cannot hear anything from what’s being said to them. This leads them to be grumpy or instantly walk out the door. So you should tell your employees that they must make sure that customers CAN hear and understand them, because that’s what will make the customers much happier.

3. Clarify through questions to ensure understanding – Customers would greatly appreciate it if you tell your employees to regularly ask them questions to ensure they are not missing anything. This is not only to ensure customer satisfaction but also convenience.

4. Utilize the use of body language to connect – Give your employees permission to not be afraid of maximizing friendly gestures and eye contact when speaking with customers because this is what will give people relief from their anxieties and it will make them feel like living a normal life despite what’s going around.

These simple tips can be easily integrated on trainings or through communications. It is vital that your managers are out on the sales floor helping employees. It is also important that your employees are appreciate ed for doing a good job. This will motivate them and inspire them to do more. This way, when someone misses an opportunity to engage with a customer, you can easily implement corrective coaching to them since they will be more receptive.

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A Checklist to Success for Startup Brands

Isn’t amazing how a brand name can easily influence people’s mind? People tend to buy one among two
similar products on the basis of the more popular brand name even if the quality is just the same. This
clearly shows that the brand affects how people decide what and where to buy because along with it are
the impressions of the people which dictates how they perceive the business.
They say the key to establishing a successful brand is consistency. But the reality is much more
complicated than just that. Here we will discuss some steps to building a successful brand.
Know your target market and your competitors
Getting to know who your potential customers are and how well your competitors are doing is a part of
understanding the situation of the current market where you will be running your business. It would
help a lot in your planning and decision-making.
To do this, you can try searching your product or service category in the internet and check if you can
see something about your direct and indirect competitors. You can also look at customers conversations
and product recommendations through subreddits. This way you can relate to them more and
understand what they think and feel.
It is also important that you talk to people from your target market to know what brands they currently
buy from. The social media can also help a lot in determining what your audience thinks. Take note that being able to source out the strengths and weaknesses of your competition from these sources can help you find your new company’s edge.
Build Your Brand Personality
Being sure about the focus and tone of your brand is one the things you need in building your brand
personality. Those two thinks will help you develop a message that you will send to your target audience
through your tagline. Your tagline can be formulated through a positioning statement that stake your
claim in the market.
Thinking of things and concepts that you can relate to your brand is also a part of building your brand
personality. This will help you relate to your target market and aid in sending the message you want to
give off. You can base these on the individual qualities you think they have in common with your brand.
Pick a Unique brand name
There’s so much more to a brand than just the name. What gives it meaning in the market is the
personality, actions, and reputation of the business. But the company’s name is one of the first things
that must be thought about and decided on by small business owners because other elements of the
business such as the logo, domain, marketing, and trademark registration depend on it. Ideally, owners
want a unique brand name but keeping it broad also works as it is a sign that you acknowledge
opportunities of widening the scope of your business.

Come up with a slogan and logo
A creative slogan is useful as a tagline on social media bios, website header, business card, and
anywhere else where only a few words are allowed to make a big impact. It should be kept brief,
appealing, and impressive. Meanwhile, a company logo design is the face of your company and it could
be everywhere that your brand exists. It should also be unique, identifiable, and scalable to work at all
sizes.
As you grow…
This is where consistency should be practiced. After building brand personality, creating a logo or
slogan, and launching a brand, the brand should be maintained and everything should work
harmoniously, from the art direction and visuals you choose for your website, your marketing materials,
all the way to how your products are packaged and shipped.
Soon your brand will evolve and more customers will be familiar. Along the way you’ll learn more about
shaping your business and knowing who your customers are and how to communicate with them.

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How to Kickstart a Successful Online Store

Making good fortune with a brick-and-mortar business doesn’t give you an instant luck in the e-
commerce industry. It is a whole new different world where you need to know many brand-new things.
It does not only require taking immediate action but also making wise decisions at the right time.
Here we will discuss the different stages that a business must undergo along the way before it goes
smooth sailing. The goal of this article is to give you some tips on how to plan, operate, and grow your
ecommerce business into a profitable one.
Planning Stage
The first part in building an e-commerce business is to know what sells best to people. Finding the right
products is challenging especially know that almost everything is already being sold online. So, you have
to think differently and see how you can stand out from your future rivals. Once you have a product idea
and potential market in mind, you should go and see if your idea has a big chance to sell.

Finally, once you are sure that your product idea will stand, what you have to do next is to determine
where and how you’re going to obtain your products look for a channel and find a supplier because the
bottom line is, these people and their services will help ensure that orders will arrive at your customer’s
doorsteps.
Preparation of Business Plan
Before proceeding to writing your business plan, make sure you finish your competitive research first
because it plays a big part in setting up a competitive business. It is valuable for you to check on your
competitors and see the flaws on how they approach the market. Looking into reviews might also help
as it can help you use their weakness to your advantage. Your business plan will then become your guide
in knowing your priorities and making strategies to effectively reach new customers.
Setting Up and Launching Your Online Store
To start setting up your business, you have to decide what brand name and logo you will use. You also
have to choose an appropriate and available domain name. Just like in a brick-and-mortar business, your
brand name and logo should be unique so your customers can easily distinguish you from other
businesses and it should also be easy to remember. These will represent your business so you have to
think it over thoroughly.
Your brand name and logo will be the face of your brand and it will be put on your products, packaging
and they will also be used as thumbnail if you have an app or if you plan to use posters and other online
publicity materials.
Existing online also requires at least a basic understanding of search engine optimization (SEO). This
helps you to properly structure your site and pages for Google and other search engines so it will be
easier for your customers to find your store. In doing this, you have to find and make use of the right
keywords. But that doesn’t have to be so hard especially because there is many available software that
can help you.

After having a clear understanding of search engines, you can now start building your store. Make use of
enticing product pages and captivating product descriptions combined with beautifully shot product
images, plus an ecommerce color palette of your choosing. These and more will help you be in your way.
From here, you can go straight to dealing with shipping and fulfillment where you have to make sure
everything is 100% okay. These elements are crucial because the quality of services that you will
outsource will have a great impact on how customers will perceive your brand.
Launching is ideal whenever you are confident that you have already prepared enough. Just take note
that this is only the beginning because this is where the bloody process of marketing your products
starts. Check on your products’ viability and see how you can drive more traffic to your online store on
your after your first months. Being focused will allow you to learn a lot more along the way.

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