Many retail businesses have had to close during the pandemic. If you closed and are now preparing to reopen, there’s a lot to get right. Social distancing measure should still be in place, alongside measures like points of entry and exit, hand-sanitising stations, and health and safety training.
As well as making sure that you are able to reopen safely, you need to put plans in place to make sure you are able to open effectively.
Get A Handle On Your Stock
Inventory management is vital for any retail business, but this is even more important if you have been closed for a while. Before you reopen, take a count of what you have and what you will need to restock, in order to reopen with what your customers want to buy.
Use smart inventory management and sales reports to find your best-sellers. Increase your stock of in-demand items before you reopen. Use these reports to find what isn’t selling well, so you can make an informed decision about discounting and bundling.
Compare your historical sales data with online search and social media trends too to get a clearer idea of demand.
Prepare And Manage Your Staff
With social distancing measure in place, it may be difficult at first to find the right staffing level, To prevent overcrowding, you will need to minimise the number of staff on-site, while still having enough to serve the needs of your customers.
Before you bring any members of staff back to work, make sure they have had appropriate training on social distancing and other measures that you have set in place to keep them and customers safe. Everyone must be aware of the rules on allowed customer numbers, as well as entry and exit points, and queuing practices.
Make sure any staff dealing with customers have appropriate protection, whether that is screens at tills, face shields, or masks.
If you have back-office staff, such as people in marketing, accounts, or administration, keep them working from home if possible, until you can lift your social distancing measures.
Give Customers A Way To Shop Online
In preparation for your reopening, it could be well worth your time to create an online store or to integrate your existing eCommerce website with your Epos system.
By creating an eCommerce outlet for your shop, you give yourself the ability to serve more customers in a safe way, while also future-proofing your business and allowing you to expand into new markets. Businesses that will thrive after the outbreak will be the ones who are best able to respond to changes in consumer behaviour. By having a presence online, you can cater to customers who value the convenience of shopping online, and the safety of shopping from home.
There will be a lot to get ready to allow you to reopen safely. Make sure you have followed all the requirements to keep both your staff and your customers safe while protecting your business for the future.
