An Introduction to COVID-Informed Retail Solutions: Part 1 of 3

Everywhere you look, retail has responded to COVID. Homemade plexiglass shields cover cash registers, hand sanitizer pumps sit by every entrance, and duct tape marks out 6-foot increments on the floor. But these are all spur-of-the-moment reactions, stopgap measures that temporarily mitigate an issue. The fact that these “solutions” are still so prevalent in the places we shop is a sign that designers need to be more involved in retail’s response to COVID. This pandemic has been going on for a year so far, and it isn’t going to be magically resolved in the next few months. And what if a similar health crisis arises someday? We can’t subject shoppers or retail employees to more of the same makeshift solutions, now or in the future. They deserve better, and designers can deliver on their needs.

With this in mind, I began to research the efforts designers have already made to address the threat of COVID in the retail environment. As my list of design interventions stretched to dozens of entries, I realized that this couldn’t be a single article. It would have to be a series. Fortunately, COVID-informed retail solutions fall into three major categories, which I am going to refer to as Transparency, Technology, and Transition. This first article in the series will deal with Transparency.

The way it is used in this article, Transparency refers to making changes that provide a sense of assurance. Shoppers are nervous to enter brick-and-mortar retail spaces, and risk-averse individuals will need to be convinced that retail can remain safe during the pandemic. Retail design can help these shoppers feel safer by being transparent and presenting them with proof of a clean and protective environment.

A natural way to start thinking about these solutions is to look at the responses we already see, but done better. No more duct tape on the floor or homemade plexiglass shields. Floor markings can be tied into the brand of the store and printed on a variety of durable, nonslip substrates. This becomes especially important when an elderly population regularly uses the space; these markings should be easily visible and safe to walk on for all demographics. As for physical barriers, flexibility is key. Our designs should be removable when times are good, but when plexiglass shields are necessary, they need to mesh with the store’s aesthetic and facilitate retail tasks. A poorly implemented protective shield can make payment difficult, impede the transfer of physical products, and even cause acoustical problems. Again, the elderly demographic should be a key consideration. If you have trouble hearing what your cashier is asking you from behind plexiglass, imagine what someone with half your auditory acuity might experience.

Another obvious entry in the category of Transparency is improving the safety of surfaces that shoppers touch. Easily cleanable and antimicrobial finishes are becoming more prevalent in retail spaces. But as designers, we need to take all of the information into account when implementing these materials. For example, how do such surfaces (which tend to be hard and glossy) work with the brand aesthetic? Which high-touch areas benefit most from such a treatment? And what about the downsides? The properties of many antimicrobial finishes stem from chemical infusion, which can have negative impacts on human health, hinder efforts to recycle the material at the end of its life cycle, or even make virulent microbes stronger over time due to acquired resistance. In many cases, choosing easily cleanable finishes over those with antimicrobial properties is far more desirable.

Air quality is yet another area where retail can make positive changes. Better airflow is an excellent place to start, but many designers have been going even further. Recent designs for fashion retailer Stella McCartney and skincare shop Dr. Jart+ have integrated advanced filtration into HVAC systems. The additional investment in such technologies shows an extraordinary commitment to cleanliness, putting shoppers at ease.

For retailers that make and sell food products, increased visibility is an excellent way to quite literally embrace Transparency. Placing a commercial kitchen behind glass in full view of shoppers is a huge confidence boost for those who may be wary about what takes place behind closed doors. If shoppers can watch their food being made, they are given the power to assess safety for themselves and make informed decisions.

One final area where retail can promote Transparency is through policy changes. An excellent example from the past year is Macy’s, which began to withhold unwanted clothes from their changing rooms for 24 hours before putting them back on the rack. The knowledge that shoppers are being protected through policy goes a long way towards making them more comfortable. Even though this falls outside the traditional purview of designers, being able to suggest operational changes in tandem with physical redesign is an excellent way to enhance the solutions we provide. It is important to keep in mind that we are not only designing a physical space, but a holistic retail experience as well. Not every solution can be physical, because human behavior isn’t solely shaped by physical influences. We as designers should feel comfortable suggesting operational changes as well as physical ones if we are going to create comprehensive design solutions to the challenges posed by COVID.

All of these techniques are tools that every designer should be able to offer to their retail clients. But there is one more factor that needs to be considered: when it comes to Transparency, shoppers must be aware of what you are doing for them. A shopper that is not aware of new antimicrobial materials, improved HVAC air filtration, or policy changes behind the scenes will not feel any more comfortable in the retail space than they did before. Whenever possible, designers should allow these solutions to be naturally visible, placing them in plain sight. But when this is not possible, other methods should be employed, even going as far as actively advertising the solutions. This requirement places an unusual demand on designers, necessitating a thought process similar to marketing. But in the context of Transparency, this makes complete sense: in order to assure shoppers of their safety, communication is as critical as the design itself.