Year in Review: COVID-19’s Impact on the Future of the Retail Industry
COVID-19 has reigned in a new age of retail shopping. The early onset of the pandemic acted as a catalyst for brick-and-mortar retailers to accelerate the integration of multichannel strategies as a way to quickly adapt to the new ways of doing business – emphasizing online sales and contact-free pick-up options.
After more than a year of living with the pandemic, consumers have become accustomed to moving seamlessly between online platforms and in-store shopping experiences, which has changed their buying habits and expectations from their favourite brands.
As brick-and-mortar retailers begin welcoming customers back in-store, the day-to-day challenges they faced pre-pandemic will remain, along with new hurdles related to last-mile delivery logistics and health and safety in-store. Nevertheless, the tools and processes implemented during the pandemic, such as parcel lockers, will be essential in facilitating the modern shopping experience.
In this white paper, we explore:
- How agile responses to the pandemic helped the initial setbacks in the industry
- How e-commerce continued to drive businesses as stores were forced to close
- Why curbside is just the beginning
- Expert predictions on the future of the retail industry in 2021 and beyond