An Introduction to COVID-Informed Retail Solutions: Part 3 of 3
Check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here if you haven’t read them yet!
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I have examined how designing for greater Transparency and incorporating emerging Technology can help retail deal with the unique challenges presented by COVID. In Part 3, I will delve into the third kind of change that designers can help foster in the retail environment: Transition to new models. While many designers continue to act as if a return to normalcy is possible after the pandemic, we have a responsibility to pay attention to the lessons we have learned during the past year. Certain models may be more desirable moving forward, and others may be totally unsuitable for a COVID and post-COVID world. Transition is necessary, and it is our job to guide these changes and position our clients for success.
A common theme throughout this series has been that retailers very quickly roll out stopgap solutions on their own. As we look at the topic of Transition, it is easy to observe the rapid changes that were kicked off by the pandemic. Single-direction shopping, a model that was originally the purview of stores like IKEA and Flying Tiger Copenhagen, seems to be everywhere. A transition from unlimited to limited customer capacity has been widely adopted over the course of the pandemic (by both individual businesses and regional governments). Many different models that protect shoppers and employees have seen a surge in popularity: outdoor merchandise displays, curbside pick-up, drive-thru windows, open air dining, and appointment-based experiences just to name a few.
All of these transitions towards greater safety are positive, but as designers, we need to help retail make changes competently. Single-direction shopping works better at IKEA than at your local grocery store because IKEA was designed with that model in mind. Restaurants that already had large patios were better-positioned for a transition to COVID precautions than those without. Businesses with street access benefitted from the curbside pick-up model, while those without such easy access could not. As we move forward, these lessons can guide how we design for retail. We need to offer flexible solutions to our retail clients that prepare them for transitions they might need to make in the future. When our designs allow retail to adapt, everybody wins.
It is also important to take note of new models that have been shaking up retail during the pandemic. Take the “virtual shopper” model for example, which is prominently being used by the Mall of America. Shoppers can download an app that connects them to an on-site employee via a video call. The connection works like any other videoconferencing service, and allows the shopper to direct the employee to walk around the store and show them the products they want to see. Payment for any items selected is handled through the app. This virtual shopping experience is a step up from ordinary e-commerce, because it suddenly becomes possible for users to do things like examine the fine details of a product without leaving their home. And even though this model owes its popularity to the pandemic, its appeal will certainly endure even after COVID is no longer a concern. The virtual shopper model has the capacity to become a luxury experience, or even a more approachable form of e-commerce for the elderly.
On the other side of the coin, designers need to be aware of which retail models are falling out of favor. One such model is the sample model popularized by beauty product retailers Ulta and Sephora, and seen to a lesser extent at grocery stores like Trader Joe’s. These models, which once seemed unshakable, are entirely unsuitable for present-day retail. Convincing shoppers that it is safe to try a sample of cosmetics or food in an unsanitary shared space has become an untenable proposition, and we should consider which models could replace the sample model. Possibilities include providing take-away samples, or even a private sampling experience (think about a “dressing room” for the purpose of testing products, sanitized between each use).
One final transition to consider is the rejection of an overarching model that has defined retail for decades. The paradigm of retail has always been to encourage shoppers to linger, thereby increasing the probability of additional impulsive purchases. The perfect example of this is Costco’s rotisserie chickens. The product is held at the artificially low price of $4.99 in order to tempt shoppers, and it is located at the very back of the store to maximize the number of other products that shoppers see. Instead of sticking to the existing model, retail should embrace the opposite outcome by shifting their priorities to maximize shopping efficiency. In the midst of a global pandemic, the old model no longer benefits either the shoppers or the employees because it prioritizes increased sales over the health and safety of the individual. To build goodwill, popular and enticing products should be placed in more accessible locations. A store that is easy to shop efficiently in these difficult times will certainly pay for itself in terms of customer loyalty.
Transparency, Technology, and Transition. Three tools that allow retail to face its biggest challenge in a hundred years. In combination, these methods can make shoppers more comfortable, improve employee safety, and help chart a path for retail through the pandemic. There is so much for designers to be aware of when it comes to mitigating the impacts of COIVD and allowing retail to thrive, and I have only been able to touch on a small fraction in this series. Keep analyzing the new problems that your clients are facing, and keep questioning the traditional responses to those problems. With a design mindset, the next great innovation could be yours.
