But what does this mean for retail marketing and its all-encompassing touchpoint, the POS? How are customers’ perceptions changing? What impact will this crisis have on the customer journey in future?
Mr Stelzer can offer first insights:
»One of the biggest drivers of this development is security and the need to feel safe. The physical distancing which the authorities are urging us to observe and its effects on social interaction are presenting new spatial challenges for retail that should reflect altered customer needs.
The increased need for cleanliness in both the clinical and aesthetic sense can be achieved by means of reduced merchandise density and spacious premises. In this case, a good overview and clarity convey not only a sense of high value, but also the feeling of »purity«. »State of the art« retail design will entail an overall look that is open and bright, combined with the corresponding materiality. The need for security however also means that, in future, customers will require greater orientation and reliable processes so that they can shop efficiently. This in turn will have an impact on merchandise presentation and product communication. Guidance is a welcome tool in this regard. Knowing one’s target groups inside out, across all segments, will become more important because maximum identification through precise inspiration generates maximum efficiency for a highly individualised customer. Experience and service with and within the community will become key factors in the purchase decision.
In future, the central question about the relevance of making a purchase will have to be answered better than ever before for many customers. Why this product, this brand and this sales channel? To stay in the race, brick-and-mortar retail needs to shine. Despite, or precisely because of COVID-19, retail must trump with all of its advantages and offer the maximum multisensory experience. What is absolutely crucial here is to think about both a clear profile and your community. You will create this relevance by exactly aligning your offering with these factors, by addressing your target group with authenticity and commitment, and by providing a precisely tailored service. Using momentum, and activating customers continuously at all touchpoints is going to be the recipe for survival.
And it is not just the customer journey that will have to evolve. Retail as a whole will become more fragmented, and new formats will establish themselves in response to changed consumer habits and the need for an ‘anti-viral society’. Neo-tribes will become increasingly important. More and more people will shop as part of a micro-community, and this elite shopping experience will emphasise the demand for regional produce and transparency. There will be new, hybrid retail formats, too, as the mega-trend will normalise the collaborative use of sales spaces. Co-working spaces, underused hotels and designer flats may double as shopping outlets on top of digital sales channels.
Things will doubtlessly continue to change and pose new challenges. But we are looking forward to adding our own touch to the ‘new normal’ and making shopping relevant and, above all, enjoyable again«