The wants and needs of the consumer are what drives the retail landscape. This is as true now as ever before. Consumer behavior dictates what concepts and aspects of facilities management receive the most significant focus. How, why, when, and where consumers make choices can directly impact FM services across the board. In the wake of the turbulent year, consumer behaviors play an essential role. It can have a powerful influence on recovery throughout the supply chain industry. Here are some key points facilities management supervisors need to consider when looking at the big picture of the general retail landscape.
What We Know and What We Believe About Consumer Behaviors in Retail
When it comes to the retail landscape, there are some basic concepts that FM teams need to keep in mind: consumers have adopted new behaviors during the crisis. Many of these are becoming more ingrained as normal behaviors. These include things like utilizing online shopping and delivery options. Overall enhanced awareness and focus on germ safety are also rising trends.
More traditionally, social experiences are now being done at home to avoid exposure and reduce face-to-face contact. Things like working out at home rather than the gym and online learning for students are prime examples of this concept. Remote work, split shifts, and office procedural changes also impact retail landscapes in many areas.
Some of these behaviors may become permanent post-COVID, and retailers can take steps now to prepare. Mask-wearing and hands-washing will likely continue to be the norm for some time to come. Changes made to brick and mortar businesses may also become normal as employees and customers alike adjust to the new way of doing things.
What Remains to Be Seen Within the Retail Landscape Market
On the opposing side of what we have seen regarding the changing landscape, there are still some questions that remain to be answered:
- How soon will the return to brick-and-mortar retail occur, and what changes will be made?
- Will new brand preferences develop among target customer groups due to pandemic offerings?
- How will retail consolidations change the retail landscape, and how will consumers respond?
- What changes will become accepted and expected even after the pandemic threat is gone?
- Where will consumers focus when it comes to the services they still demand from businesses?
- Who will be the leaders in the retail space, and who will set the example that others will follow?
- The answer to these and other critical questions will be highly influential in the industry. They will remain essential for continued growth and recovery in the years ahead. And having the right FM partner in the retail space is critical in responding faster and avoiding delays.
How an Expert Outsourcing FM Servicer Can Help
Cushman & Wakefield’s Distributed Facilities Solutions understands the importance of these questions. We know how critical the answers are and how they drive the retail landscape now and in the future. Our team can help you plan for some of these behavior changes. We remain committed to assisting retailers in responding to current concerns. We do this by expanding online pickup areas, installing protective screens, and implementing social distancing programs. We can also help you get ready for increasing traffic as consumers begin to return to pre-pandemic habits and activities. And in fact, the top areas we can assist with include:
- Helping managers adjust to fluctuations in consumer demands with creative spatial solutions.
- Reopening closed locations safely and at scale across a portfolio that maximizes reach and impact.
- Ensuring consistent execution of in-store branding, marketing, and safety procedures.
- Leveraging an extensive supplier network and buying power to boost the impact on the retail landscape.
- Reducing costs without impacting quality through our value engineering and consultancy services
- Providing scalable resources and planning options to match the actual effort requirements.
Future-Proof Your Retail Landscape With the Right Partner
Even still, it’s essential to realize the actual state of the retail landscape and its trajectory as listed above. Contact our Distributed Facility Solutions today to see how we can help you prepare for what’s next within the retail space.
