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Customer communication guides small business reopenings amid COVID-19
Kevin Reynolds Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementBrett Evje, a restaurant owner in Montana, has a mantra: "Business is a two-way street." It wasn't a particularly groundbreaking statement before March. The relationship between customer and business was never something in question in the world before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, however, the simple phrase has taken on a greater measure of complexity. How businesses make the decision to open or remain closed is largely dependent on that customer-to-business relationship.
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In-app messaging: A great strategy to boost business during the age of…
Lisa Mulcahy MarketingAs a marketer, you want to provide your customers and clients ease and agility when it comes to purchasing products and services from your brand during the COVID-19 crisis. In-app messaging is an ideal tool to help you achieve this. Depending on your current products and services, you can use in-app messaging to pull new customers into your base, answer customer service questions, launch products, or make easier use of your products and services — the sky is truly the limit. Here are some key areas you can start with.
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Does your business feel irrelevant? Here’s what you can do
Victoria Fann Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThere are periods in a business owner's life when the products being sold or the services being offered grow stale and cease to feel relevant. Sometimes this can happen with the overall mission of a business. The tides turn. Interests change. Passion wanes. What's popular and trendy loses steam. It can feel daunting to even consider small changes, let alone do a major pivot. Perhaps staying relevant doesn't require reinventing your business. Maybe it’s more straightforward than that.
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5 mistakes to avoid in marketing campaigns as the pandemic continues
Lisa Mulcahy MarketingAs a marketer seeking recovery for your brand as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the nation, it's essential to adopt the right mindset. It's perfectly logical that you want to come out strong with digital communication right out of the gate and ensure the start of a robust profit recovery. Slow your roll, though — the last thing you want to do right now is read the tea leaves wrong and alienate your existing customer base and potential clientele.
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Infographic: How technology can help the economy recover
Brian Wallace Science & TechnologyTechnology, both as a tool and as an economic sector, has kept the economy going during the pandemic, and it will also figure heavily into the economic recovery. This infographic outlines the state of the economy as well as how technology has aided in economic recoveries in the past.
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Small businesses rush for technological answers, advances during pandemic
Kevin Reynolds Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe coronavirus has upended the way small businesses operate for months. One of the longest-lasting impacts of the virus, though, will be how fast and how many small businesses have been forced into investing into technology. With contactless pickup, new payment methods, and cleaning services all far more important than they were at the start of the year, a common denominator in every industry is the need for innovation.
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Warehouse technologies: 3 trends to watch
Gail Short Distribution & WarehousingThese days, many warehouses and distribution centers are under the gun to boost efficiency and productivity and ship products and materials faster than ever. In the e-commerce industry alone, a recent survey by the global consulting firm Capgemini Research Foundation reported that 55% of consumers polled said they would choose a brand or retailer over its competitor if it offered a faster delivery service. That said, a white paper titled "Warehouses of the Future," published by the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU), says warehouses are becoming places "not just to store stuff," but places integrated into supply chain processes.
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New advocacy group launches to help America’s small businesses
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementPolicymakers, beware. Small Business for America’s Future (SBAF) is a new advocacy group, evolved from Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform. Why? Look no further than the performance of Congress and the White House as the COVID-19 pandemic hammered mom-and-pop shops with a crash in consumer demand across the U.S. SBAF surveyed 1,200 small business owners whose responses show the damage as Capitol Hill dithered. For instance, 53% of small business owners have increased debt during the pandemic.
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Food and beverage: The only sector to grow in 2020 — and possibly beyond
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageA recent Euromonitor report states that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer buying behavior drastically. As a result, food and beverage is the only sector projected to see robust growth this year. Retail analysts show that while global spending will fall by 4.3% this year, the food and beverage industry will grow at just above 2%. Euromonitor also predicts that consumer choices may change permanently. Its predictions are based on lifestyle trends that came out of the pandemic.
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5 tips for top-notch customer service while social distancing at your spa
Elizabeth Donat RetailWith spas and medical spas opening up or on the cusp of reopening, it's time to reevaluate our customer service strategy in light of the changes in society and our daily lives. We cannot continue with the old styles of communication and customer care in a new, socially distant world. Read my expert tips to learn five helpful pointers for making your clients feel close, even though we are forced to keep space between us.
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