PERSPECTIVES

From The Co-Founders

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Tips, Tactics & Strategic Insights and Commentary
from The ROI Co-Founders, Pat Johnson and Dick Outcalt
Outcalt & Johnson: Retail Strategists LLC; Retail Turnaround Experts

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The Digital Clock Is Ticking. Time to Catch Up!

For retailers, the uncertainties caused by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are unrelenting. 

  • "'It seems that social distancing mandates won’t be the only thing keeping crowds down at businesses moving forward,' said Ted Rossman, industry analyst at CreditCards.com. 'A significant number of Americans plan to stay away on their own accord.'” 1

So, what should we do with this additional "found time," waiting for the customers? That's a question we CAN answer!

As you are sorting out how best to reopen, we encourage you to be bold about embracing technology. Not just a POS system upgrade with better e-commerce capability. There's much more that warrants your attention. 

There's a whole alphabet of resources out there, already being embraced by many: ML (machine learning); AI (artificial intelligence); AR (augmented reality), QR (Quick Response matrix barcodes). All enabling chatbots, robots, digital displays and much else to become "smarter" and more applicable. 

Consider these examples of virtual try-ons:

  • "Jewelry brand Kendra Scott adapted to pandemic-era shopping — and the temporary closure of its 108 stores — by allowing shoppers to “try on” earrings using their iPhone browsers.
  • "Etsy, the online marketplace, has a new augmented reality feature on its app that shows customers how paintings, photographs and other decor would look on their walls. 
  • "And Zeekit, which supplies augmented reality technology to brands such as Adidas and Tommy Hilfiger, is preparing to launch the world’s largest virtual fitting room, with hundreds of thousands of pants, tops and coats that shoppers can drag onto photos of themselves." 2 

 

Or this: live, interactive shopping...on a smart phone app!

  • "Danielle Li believes the live-streaming e-commerce platform she founded, Popshop Live, has the potential to make e-commerce sites like Amazon look like the Stone Age of shopping.
  • "Jamie Rivadeneira, who owns two Los Angeles stores that were shut by the coronavirus pandemic, has seen the Popshop Live app revolutionize her business to the point where she’s asking herself if she still needs brick-and-mortar stores. 'It’s hard to go back now, because now we sell to 200 people instead of just selling to one person, with the same amount of effort,' she said." 3

 

How about making your brick-and-mortar space work for you 24/7? 

  • "When you own a brick and mortar business, one of the key marketing tools you can use is the storefront window displays. Reach out to customers without them even stepping inside with the use of giant QR codes, or interactive digital storefronts." 4

 

Meanwhile, trade associations are accelerating their adoption of technology as their ability to hold trade shows is shut down. Retailers will be exposed to much of this as they participate in "virtual trade shows."

  • "But with toy trade shows and in-person sales meetings cancelled for perhaps the rest of this year and possibly longer, toy companies have had to rewrite their sales playbooks.
  • Welcome to the virtual state of play, where toy manufacturers have to learn the new rules of selling remotely to their retail accounts, during a pandemic." 5

Our view on technology is that it never can replace human judgment. Indeed, we always have bristled at Amazon's stated intent to "replace the art of retailing with the science of retailing."  

Yet we believe all this bodes very well for independent retailers. 

  • There is an ever-larger role for technology to inform and enhance your decisions, as well as affecting the retail experience. 
  • Providers of this technology will soon realize there are far more independents than there are enterprise retailers, a large, underserved market. 
  • And we expect that some of them will want to offer these technologies on a subscription basis, potentially making it even more accessible. 

We encourage you to take advantage of this time to explore all this.

There is no future in being a technology laggard. Surely there are some tools here that would be right at home in your retail operation going forward. We urge you to find out. 
 

1 Stephanie Asymkos, Americans plan to spend more in these two areas as economy reopens. Yahoo Money, July 8, 2020. 

2 Virtual try-ons are replacing fitting rooms during the pandemic. Abba Bhattarai, The Washington Post, July 9, 2020. 

3 A Live-Streaming Challenger to Amazon, Facebook: Popshop Live Gives Small Stores a Lifeline. Joan Verdon, Forbes. July 8, 2020. 

4 Five Unique Ways to Decorate Your Storefront Window Display, Holly Kemp, Manta. June 29, 2020. 

5 A Socially Distant Toy Fair: Toy Makers Learn the New Rules of Virtual Play. Joan Verdon, Forbes, July 12, 2020. 

Related Articles

  • COVID-19 thumbs/springtime.png

    Time for That Springtime (Upbeat) State of Mind

    According to the calendar, as of March 21, it officially is springtime. No matter what the weather is doing.

    Well, it's time to bring the calendar to real life! Spring is really a state of mind! The dark winter has passed. Even the rain is warmer in the spring. And new growth is beginning to sprout; leaves are coming out. It's a wonderful, fresh outlook.

    And that of course means it is a wonderful opportunity for retailers to refresh and reenergize their stores. 

    No matter what merchandise you sell - whether it's tires, apparel, books, housewares, office supplies, whatever - every retailer is in the fashion business.

    And that means that your customers are wanting what is new and fresh.You know; "in fashion."

  • So, What Time Is "Just-in-time"?

    Is This Why Many Retailers Fail?

    Maybe you've also noticed it. The recent articles about how retailers now have their inventories "more in line" after the glut of excess inventory caused by "supply chain disruption."

    Okay. That's good news.

    But, what jumps out at us is the frequent reference to "just-in-time" inventory management.

    • Really? Tell us, What is the formula for calculating "just-in-time"? 
    • What time is "just-in-time"? Is it 2 turns on the inventory? Four turns? Six turns? Twelve turns? Or what?!?

    Look, if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. And, if you can't manage something, by definition (and experience!) it is out of control.

  • COVID-19 thumbs/Timer.png

    The Clock Is Ticking. Watch Out!

    One of the real killers of a retail business can be debt. But, how much is too much?

    Debt can be quite stealthy as it grows. 

    • Seemingly small expense increases add up in the aggregate – maintenance costs, security, advertising, utilities, payroll, e-commerce charges, etc. 
    • Vendors may be eager to offer terms, but that too is more debt. Whether or not you pay interest on it, you still are obligated to pay. And vendors would rather have an accounts receivable from you – it's an asset for them – and a debt for you.

    Especially in these times of increasing interest rates, creeping expansion of debt can quickly snowball into a much larger problem.

    From the Benchmark pages on The ROI site, we have selected four retail verticals whose Debt-to-Worth ratio shows a frightening situation. The technical term we would use is "spooky, real spooky."

    (click on each chart to see all key ratios for that vertical)

    Pharmacies & Drug StoresFlorists

    Office Supplies & Statiionery StoresPet & Pet Supplies Stores

  • Lead Time: Use It or Lose It!

    There's little that any of us can do to address the public health crisis of the pandemic. Its impact on people and businesses is a widespread and major jolt, akin to the shocks of  9/11 and the 2008-09 economic meltdown. 

    Even as painful and disruptive as the pandemic is at this moment, we must remind ourselves that it will subside. It's not whether it will subside, just when.

    But all of us are going to have to deal with the ensuing economic situation, and its effects on our sales, our customers, our employees. 

    These are difficult times for us all. Retailing in particular is under enormous stress. Many feel like there are no good choices. 

    But, there are good decisions. And The ROI is dedicated to helping you be able to make those good decisions for yourself. 

  • time2.png

    Ready or Not, New Retail Clock Is Here

    As the global efforts to "flatten the curve" of the coronavirus pandemic continue, there is another curve that is being flattened. That would be the seasonality of retail sales. 

    And this may prove to be what really defines the New Normal for retailers. 

    The customary peaks of retail spending have been flattened.

  • COVID-19 thumbs/SeasonalMDs02.png

    What a Great Time to Be a REAL Merchant!

    You've seen all the headlines. Worldwide inflation. Dire warnings of a coming recession. Big time discounts at retailers due to boatloads of inventory. Amazon doubling down on their Prime Day(s) sales. Shoppers shopping early in anticipation of rising prices. 

    Shaping up to be yet another "unprecedented" Holiday season for retailers, isn't it?

    And a wonderful opportunity for all merchants!

    How best to start? Set the boundaries.

    • First, specify how much inventory, in total, you want as of December 31. 
    • How much by department?
    • Category?

    Next, establish clear routines for monitoring inventory levels.



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