Perspective: Retail Design During a Worldwide Pandemic

Retailers from all over the world and in UAE in particular, are trying to survive every kind of difficulty Covid-19 gives on a daily basis. In fact, even before the worldwide pandemic hit, the retail industry was not exactly in its best shape and it’s only gotten worse. Thousands of retail stores have been shut down. Thousands of businesses have been closed. But this worldwide pandemic is never going to put the whole retail industry down. This is retail’s time to pivot. 

As retail stores are slowly reopening across the country, the most crucial things every retail store owner should remember about retail design during and post pandemic are these – function, fun and flexibility. Retail fit out Dubai companies are approaching retail design strategies that can easily adapt to the changes the pandemic gives every now and then. 

Stay Flexible

Flexibility in retail interior design is very critical. The rules in retail design will change again and so do expectations. Flexible retail design means allowing for things like store layout to be easily modified when customer demand takes a different turn. 

Always Consider Customer Experience

Experienced and professional retail fit out Dubai companies and consultants are making collective efforts to reimagine customer service that offers a truly personalized and memorable retail store experience. This is not anymore about creating designs that are enticing to the eye of every customer, this is about making sure that the retail store is made safe for them to come into.

In the short-term, retail design should be all about retooling the space to enable social distancing. This includes installing protective barriers at checkouts, marking out where customers should queue, reducing the number of products on display to create more space and implementing one-way systems.

Focus on Facilities

Create clean employee areas to enhance the overall employee wellness. This is a key part to communicate to customers about how your store is handling the pandemic. Eliminate knobs and handles in the design; show that carts are being sanitized; create one way aisles; revamp fitting rooms and keep products in storage are some tips retail owners can apply to their retail design. 

Physical retail stores still have a bright future even more so in the pandemic. This is a time for retail fit out companies to explore new ideas, be authentic and be agile.

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