Kohl's opens a select number of stores across 14 states and implemented a set of changes to ensure that costumers and employees are as safe as possible. With the COVID-19 outbreak, the retail world came to a halt, and as the stores reopen, they face cautionary practices.
This includes banning beauty testers, closing fitting rooms, changing the operating hours, signs and floor decals to monitor social distancing, and controlling the flow of the store with a single entrance. Employees must wear masks and gloves, protective barriers are put up, touchless payments are available through the app, sanitizing stations are found throughout the stores, and in-aisle fixtures are added to encourage social space between shoppers.
Retail Store Re-Openings
Kohl's Set Cautionary Rules when Reopening Some Store Locations
Trend Themes
1. Contactless Payments - The implementation of touchless payments through mobile apps presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for retailers to enhance customer safety and convenience.
2. Social Distancing Solutions - The need for signs, floor decals, and in-aisle fixtures to monitor and encourage social distancing provides an opportunity for businesses to develop innovative solutions for managing store layouts and customer flow.
3. Enhanced Hygiene Measures - The increased emphasis on sanitizing stations and protective barriers opens up opportunities for industry players to develop new products and services that prioritize customer and employee health and safety.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - The retail industry can explore innovative technologies and strategies to adapt to the changing consumer behavior, such as implementing touchless payment systems and reconfiguring store layouts to promote social distancing.
2. Technology - The technology industry can develop advanced solutions, such as mobile apps for touchless payments and automated systems for managing store capacity, to address the evolving needs of the retail sector in the post-pandemic era.
3. Healthcare - The healthcare industry can collaborate with retailers to develop and implement enhanced hygiene protocols, providing expertise and products to ensure the safety and well-being of both customers and employees in retail environments.