See how Visual Merchandising professionals are dealing with store closures and preparing for the reopening of brick-and-mortar stores.

There is a lot of discussion about what the “new normal” will look like and how people will behave once physical retail reopens. Some stores in Europe and Asia have been experimenting with opening their doors to the public, albeit with significant restrictions. However, people’s reaction is turning out to be the opposite of what was expected. In some cases, huge lines have formed without the proper six-foot distancing, creating crowds and, in other words, ignoring containment guidelines. Some videos have even gone viral online, showing carelessness on both sides: brands and people alike.

In the early days of the quarantine, when physical retail closed its doors, e-commerce sales rose significantly. Brands turned their attention to the online world. Online shopping is nothing new, but we have started using it intensively over the past few months and have watched e-commerce platforms go through a process of improvement. Much of what is being done to optimize online shopping comes from strategies of “physical retail when it comes to building engaging journeys that spark desire and bring consumers closer to the brand’s universe,” Camila Salek (founding partner of Vimer, a Visual Merchandising agency) told us in an interview.

Shortly afterward, every physical retail professional began facing the major challenge of planning how to reopen. According to Daniel Marques, Visual Merchandising Coordinator at Grupo Brascol, we are currently going through a phase of understanding and working on a “Projection of the future: getting ready, organizing the store and future projects.”

Daniel says his team is currently helping out with logistics. The sales team is still working inside the store (even though it’s closed), focused on speeding up sales of products that were sitting on the shelves. “Our challenge is to keep everything organized inside the store so sales associates can find products more easily to fulfill deliveries.” It’s a way of reorganizing the store, even while it’s closed. In fact, other major apparel retailers have been doing the same thing, fulfilling online orders with products shipped from the stores closest to the customer.

Cintia Lie, coordinator and professor of the graduate program in Interior Design at IED, told us she has been following how colleagues in the VM field are diversifying their day-to-day work, showcasing products as a way to stay in touch with customers.

“I’ve been following the work of a colleague who goes to the physical store to do the setups, organizing the products inside the store, and then he makes videos showing the techniques he used. It’s an engaging, intimate way to connect with customers emotionally. Another colleague started making videos explaining the whole process behind his in-store work on past projects. He explains how the layout and lighting were done and why each element mattered, like which types of materials were best suited to that project… I think that’s really important, because it has substance and adds value,” says Cintia.

Challenges

We know that the main roles of VM are to draw customers into the physical store and to showcase and arrange products strategically throughout the store space to delight them. However, these professionals now carry new challenges and concerns regarding customers’ health and well-being. Lie explains that the store layout needs to be rethought, increasing the space between products so people don’t bump into each other and risk contamination. Another important point is planning distancing markers for lines and service counters. On top of that, choosing which products should get the most prominence—since inventory has been sitting idle or is overstocked while new merchandise keeps arriving—will be a major challenge, she concludes.

Camila tells us that at Vimer, everyone is discovering that there is no such thing as “impossible.” “Agility and practicality have been driving exchanges despite any distance, and technology has been very relevant in bringing a disruptive mindset that goes far beyond just using devices. We’re seeing digitalization grow as a way to facilitate and boost experiences across every sector—the analog mindset’s days are numbered!” And as a way to keep offering resources and solutions to brands, the agency is offering a special deal (3 months of free use) for the RetailMind tool (created in partnership with Peek Technology). It’s an artificial intelligence software that allows POS activities to be managed remotely.

The main challenge Daniel and his team are tackling is adapting the stores’ physical structure. “People are worried about crowding. Everything has to work within distancing guidelines. Our biggest concern is customers’ health and well-being, and making sure the store is ready to welcome them. Another challenge is figuring out how trying on clothes will work from now on.” Zara, with the cautious return of its physical stores, implemented a system for quarantining items that customers tried on but didn’t buy. We have to keep in mind that trying on clothes will now start to make people uncomfortable. Daniel cited the example of O Boticário, which created an AR app for trying on makeup. Using these technologies so customers can try products safely, without being exposed to the risk of infection, is a viable solution. “We need to come up with ways to solve these problems, which could become a chasm between the physical store and people.”

So, what can we expect from consumer behavior when stores reopen?

We have different types of consumer profiles, and with the return of physical stores, there won’t be just one kind of behavior, says Cintia Lie. Technology has been gaining importance in retail, and innovation is an effective strategy for brands to speak to customers. However, Lie warns that caution is needed: if a store didn’t invest in technology and innovation before the quarantine and then, when brick-and-mortar retail reopens, makes a large investment solely with the intention of selling, it may come across as odd to customers or even be seen as offensive.

We are going through a very delicate time all over the world. Most major brands are taking a stand, providing some kind of help and support to society. This kind of action is certainly being valued in terms of brand recognition. What we need now is to focus on helping, and to have awareness and social responsibility. “Consumers may be offended by how much was spent on the renovation, when they know that the brand didn’t help those in need, by donating to campaigns, for example,” explains Lie.

Sharing the same line of thinking, Daniel Marques believes the reopening will call for sensitivity, and actions that come across as ostentatious are strongly discouraged. “We need to offer a warm welcome when stores reopen. We’re going through a difficult period, and when we return to stores, we expect to be well taken care of. Brands built a digital positioning that showed people care during this time, creating closeness. So when it’s time to reopen the physical store, why should it be any different? Putting up sale and price signs and being aggressive in communication won’t be the best approach. Technology now is more about solving problems than grabbing attention,” says Daniel.

That said, there are actions that can be taken, as long as they’re not over the top or out of context. According to Professor Lie, no one really knows yet how things will actually play out. “We have some idea based on the behavior we’re seeing in Europe and Asia, but those are economic contexts that differ from Brazil’s. What we can think about, in terms of technology, is that it should be tied to basic, quick usefulness, applied to a context of care, rebuilding and empathy. That way, it will be very welcome. If it’s purely aesthetic and superficial, people may reject it,” she explains.

In Amsterdam, we see what may be one of the most creative containment and prevention measures so far. The vegan restaurant Mediamatic Eten came up with an unusual solution by placing its tables (which used to sit outside the restaurant, on the bank of a canal) inside glass greenhouses. The venue was able to reopen its doors to guests, providing safety and comfort to everyone. Learn more about this and other examples.

According to Camila Salek, the first step will be to prepare the store and the staff who will be in direct contact with the public, and to adopt the measures needed to maintain a safe and welcoming environment. She also shares a study developed by Vimer with tips for this reopening, which can be an excellent guide right now. Click here to check out the material.

VM is essential right now for reopening stores in a smart and safe way, following what we call the “culture of distance,” as Salek puts it. As retail professionals, we need to be aware of our social responsibility and seek to make the consumer journey easier. People are more alert and don’t want to waste time in stores when doing their shopping. In supermarkets, basic items are more visible and easy to find. The big mission is to provide solutions, to know how to present the product to the customer while showing what is essential to them at that moment. In other words, to make the shopping experience easier and not more stressful than it already is.

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