A Journey Through Today’s Retail Trends

Which trends will help retailers succeed during the pandemic and onward? And what can retailers do to create great customer experiences during a challenging environment?
John Federman, CEO of JRNI, a leading organization in experiential relationship, shared his thoughts and the results of JRNI’s Rewriting the Rules of Retail Engagement Research study.

There is much consumer anxiety in the marketplace over the concerns of COVID-19. Still, Federman assured that retailers are doing everything they can to make the experience approachable and safe for shopping.

“Those retailers who are well-positioned positioned themselves for an omnichannel customer journey before the pandemic,” Federman said. “Retailers now suffering are those who didn’t make experiences essential to how they engage with their prospects and customers. So, what we are seeing are trends that mitigate the concerns of fear.”

Federman said one trend gaining momentum during the pandemic, and JRNI’s research backs this up, is appointments. Offering appointment services is an excellent way for retailers to differentiate.

“It’s a means for both social distancing and creating one-to-one experiences for a consumer where they have the opportunity to manage how much they are around groups of people,” Federman said. “Combined with all the other tools like curbside pickup, occupancy management, remote appointments; all of these are coming together to allow a retailer to have a relationship in this really unusual season.”

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