#TipForTuesday – Continue Communicating to Consumers

According to a new survey from Retail Brew–Harris, although some people are eager to get back to shopping at brick and mortar locations rather than to continuing to do their shopping online, 63% of those responding to the survey said they won’t feel comfortable enough going in-person for another year.

So, if you are a brand with a large in-person presence, what does this mean you?

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

Although when we might return to in-person shopping is still up for grabs, smart retailers should continue (or once again start) communicating their safety policies and procedures for in-person shopping. Whether by hanging signs at the entrance and throughout the store or by placing hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes also in highly trafficked areas, demonstrating to the customer that their safety is important to you will go a long way in re-establishing brand loyalty.

Keep your social media pages and website up-to-date with ongoing announcements regarding what is happening at your stores – this can include not just the safety information, but any special promotions that you might be hosting. Don’t forget Yelp, Google and other referral sites – keeping information updated there is extremely important as consumers often search here first before going to your website.

And don’t forget your internal audience – your employees are vitally important to the success of your business and need to be kept informed and empowered to make decisions while working on-site. Are they allowed to ask a person to leave the store? Are there masks available to handout for those that ask for one? Are employees receiving training for how to properly clean and disinfect the store and its products? These are your brand ambassadors, giving them the tools to represent your brand successfully will go a long way toward keeping your consumers engaged.

As retailers continue to navigate the current situation, it is likely that your policies will also continue to change. Consumers are still testing the waters, the more you communicate your policies, the more comfortable they will feel.