When the pandemic hit, brick and mortar shops were left with no other choice but to undergo major transformations. A lot of physical stores temporarily—and some, unfortunately, permanently—closed while a new era of advertisement during the pandemic also started. Many retailers pivoted and focused their efforts online as consumers retreated to their homes.
Months down the line and with a new year turning, the world is slowly opening up again as restrictions eased. The wariness remains, but with people having been locked up in their homes for the majority of the last year, many are now taking a little freedom that they have to start going out again.
This leaves another big challenge for anyone operating a business. After the major transformation that they had to undergo last year, entrepreneurs have left once again with the need to think of ways on how to adjust to the post-pandemic needs of shoppers.
No store sign design, no business
Business owners know that store design, retail signage, and visual theme are important in attracting and keeping customers. These elements set the stage for a brand or product, which is why many are willing to spend millions on them before.
The COVID-19 situation, however, has entirely affected this basic merchandising truth over the last few months. For example, many stores remain to choose to operate on a delivery basis while others shifted to a curbside pickup strategy.
The challenge with these methods is that while they are what is necessary at the moment, they also greatly reduce the profitability of a business. When a customer is not “connected” to a store visually and emotionally (two things that are established through good retail design execution), the chances are low for brands to leave their mark on their shoppers and therefore, turn them into repeat customers.
Why the importance of advertisement during the pandemic lives on
As a customer, the first thing that you notice about any store, company, or establishment is its design. Every detail sends a message: from the paint, retail signage, down to the choice of a welcome mat. Displays, signage, and layout are what pulls us in and what we also use to decide if we’re going to stay there or not.
This continues to be relevant even during the post-pandemic time. The only difference is that while customers only used to pay attention to how a store was laid out and accessorized before, most shoppers are also considering how prepared it is now to deal with the limitations and restrictions of the pandemic.
Is the floor plan good for social distancing? What safety tools have a store installed to make sure that its customers and employees are protected? When before, anyone would walk out of the door due to an unappealing retail design, the odds are higher now for businesses to turn shoppers off when their physical location is not conducive for the current situation.
Store design and advertisement in the post-pandemic world
Traditional retail stores had been designed to draw people in and keep them inside for as long as possible. Since COVID-19, however, the focus of everyone is to keep their visits as short and efficient as possible.
That doesn’t mean that store design is now useless. It simply transformed. For example, stores that have multiple entrances and wide spaces are now much more appealing to shoppers because they allow better crowd management and flow. Advertisement for store displays has also changed. While before, stores would go to display as many choices as they can to customers with the aim of hitting those “random sales,” it is a better idea now to go for curated choices so shoppers can grab and go whatever they want with ease.
Making your store pandemic-friendly is also not just a mandate you have to abide by, it affects overall consumer behavior, too. Regardless of brand recall or shopper loyalty, a business has established, people, in general, will also only shop in places where they actually feel safe.
Nail it down: Advertisement during the pandemic
Creating a solid plan for your store design is important if you want your business to thrive in the current climate. Smart business owners know that if they want to attract customers back into their doors, they have to establish their locations as safe spaces to shop.
Signage will play an important role more than ever now. Floor stickers showing shopper traffic flow have become necessities and, as simple as they are, send the quickest message to everyone that a business is well-prepared to make their patrons safe. Acrylic dividers are another essential, too, especially in spaces where people will have contact with each other.
A focus on air quality should also be emphasized. If you’re one of the retailers who cannot really afford to make big adjustments because you’re located in a mall with a strict set-up, for example, the best you can do is to have crowd limitations and to install smart devices that can improve air quality in your area. HVAC systems designed to improve filtration can improve indoor air quality by a mile. If you have the privilege to actually do some slight modifications to your store, however, it is best to do some rearranging to widen up your space for everyone.
Of course, don’t forget to talk about all the efforts you’ve been doing, too. Even simple outdoor signage explaining the safety protocols that you are following inside your store can ease common pandemic worries and attract customers to visit you. Remember, no matter how well thought out your pandemic strategy is, it won’t have much impact if you shoppers are not aware of them.
Looking for good retail store signages that you can use? Browse over our products here for a variety of options that you can choose from.
