Trends Observed in Retail Merchandising

By: infotechalive July 23, 2021

Trends Observed in Retail Merchandising

There have been significant effects which have been caused due to the COVID – 19 pandemic. These have been felt all around the globe and one of the most negatively impacted sectors has been the retail. The buying patterns have changed globally.

Digital channels have seen an exponential growth due to the lockdown scenarios where people were forced to stay shut indoors. E-commerce saw a boom like never before and retail spending also increased in this aspect significantly. Some noticeable trends which have become popular are:

Change in the Physical Stores

Due to the digital turn, retail sales had become totally dependent on online channels. Taking a clue from that, the physical stores would also need changes. The non-store retailers’ proportion has increased considerably. The setting up of new stores and selecting other details like store size, location etc would be dependent on the retailers’ digital strategy. Physical stores will not go away but the focus would be divided in significant proportions.

Expansion of Digital Presence in Retail Merchandising

All the sectors made the shift to digital. Interior design products, sports goods, kitchenware, toys etc started retailing online. There is a rising expectation of an omnichannel shopping experience among the customers as well. Small businesses which initially found it difficult to accommodate the online presence in their budgets also were forced to reconsider their options and now the situations are becoming smoother gradually.

Personalized Experiences

Concierge services in retail was only limited to the extremely high end brands but COVID – 19 changed it. Personalized appointment – based experiences for clients have become a fairly common phenomena. Handwritten notes and thank you messages have been incorporated by even the smaller retailers to push along a touch of personal care for every visiting clients. Even email communications on the lines of “we’re missing you since your last visit” have become commonplace.

This whole pandemic experience has been a tumultuous one but it has taught us lessons which would not have been possible otherwise.