When the clock struck midnight on January 1 st , 2020, did your New Year’s resolutions include stocking up on toilet paper and tuna fish? Probably not. Who could have predicted that a few short months into the year, disinfecting wipes would become a status symbol or that buying basics like hand soap and pasta would require queuing up in long lines? Or that many shoppers would be afraid to even enter a store? The retail landscape certainly has changed.
Retailers and CPG companies who quickly pivot to help their customers meet this time will be rewarded with shopper loyalty long into the future. (Easier said than done.)
Take disinfecting items. Typically, hand soap, hand sanitizer, wipes, and bleach are managed by different category managers and merchandised separately in neat four-foot sections. But today’s shoppers care more about getting all of their disinfecting needs in one quick trip (and they don’t care who owns the category P&L). They resent having to walk three additional aisles to find masks after already locating soap. We must break down previous merchandising barriers to meet these evolved needs.
Think about internal processes: go-to-market planning, strategy sessions, category approvals, SOPs, and the like. These processes worked with six-month lead times—but they’re useless when action is demanded now. The historical syndicated sales data we rely on depicts consumer behaviors that no longer exist. Are your supply chains that were based on full truckloads still the right model if shelves are now empty? Those previously “set in stone” reset, revision, and new-item launch schedules require an urgent update. And decision-makers must be empowered to make choices based on these new realities.
Finally, consider the significantly changed definition of what it means to care for your friends and family as a host. No outdoor, socially-distanced gathering is prepared without a complete disinfection of surfaces prior to the event. And hand sanitizer must be offered prominently at any backyard BBQ, right beside single-serve beverages. Masks for guests are now as important as those single-serve snacks. So ask yourself: when you set your Labor Day displays, did you include these new necessities along with your go-to paper plates and condiments?
Our industry has always thrived when we anticipate and meet shopper demands. Today’s climate requires new thinking, evolved norms, and even broader flexibility. But those who are up to the challenge can continue to thrive into the future.
Visit www.crossmark.com/contact to learn how your brand can earn future customer loyalty now.
Drug Store News, September 2020
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