By Eliana Barriga Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer ![]() Keeping services relevant amidst uncertainty I don’t know about you, but the surreal world we find ourselves living in at the moment certainly is keeping us on our toes, dancing to the tune of a new jig. “On the fly” thinking is an extremely valuable and necessary skill to have or to be developing at this time. Thinking fast and taking quick action is the name of the game here now. This is what will keep our businesses relevant and profitable. It’s time to come up with sustainable ways of doing business now, as well as into the future. As a consumer, I have noticed that many websites are outdated, and even more sites are not adapting their selling strategies to fit the rapidly changing climate. This adaptation is essential to help customers navigate the purchase of goods and services sold by your establishment, whether the doors are currently open or closed. People are too stressed with daily life right now to be frustrated by the purchase and delivery process they want and need from you. When the experience is seamless, the stress levels stay low, encouraging return sales as well as referrals. Take Panera Bread’s recent solution, for example. They were classified as a restaurant and deemed non-essential when the stay-at-home order came down. Panera’s chief decision makers noted that grocery stores were deemed essential, so they added a grocery store to their business model and packaged their meals, produce, bread and began delivering these products via local delivery services, in addition to curb-side pickup. They also are selling these products in local grocery stores nationwide. With a revamped, beautiful, and very user-friendly website, ordering from Panera is now super easy to receive their yummy food, delivered right to your home, hassle free. I know there are a lot of inspirational examples of businesses working within the confines of the crisis, finding creative ways to succeed. Do you have a story you’d like to tell? We would like to highlight these stories in future issues, so please write to us and share what you are doing to not only survive, but to actually thrive in 2020! Reinventing the way we do business... Eliana Barriga [email protected]
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By Eliana Barriga Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer ![]() Don’t you wish you had a crystal ball to tell you when life will return to normal? The truth is, we must now learn to accept living in the “new normal”. Our routines have been radically altered, and our plans for the near future have changed. Things are currently beyond our personal control as concerns for our health and safety maybe thrusting us into a state of loss, depression, and confusion. Here’s where the power of the mind is crucial in times like these. Darren Hardy is the publisher of Success magazine, an author and mentor to thought leaders globally and to those who choose to change the course of their future. (darrenhardy.com) Recently, he gave a brilliant talk encouraging people to find resources, hope, potential and possibility in order to take back control of their minds and their lives. In his talk, Hardy said: “The antidote exists inside your mind. The right resources can help keep you healthy, vital, and productive. Reground yourself psychologically and refocus your mind to what you can control. Utilize this time to plan and prepare for your comeback. We are living through an incredible time in history, one that we will be telling future generations about for a long time. The world around is looking to you. Everybody in your industry is looking to you. Your company and your team are looking to you to determine how they should behave and how they should think and act going forward. They’re counting on you. This crisis is defining who you are and who you decide to be. You can decide to emerge from this crisis a stronger more capable leader, a more capable loving and caring parent, a more connected friend, and a more engaged citizen than you were coming into it. You can decide to turn this COVID-19 crisis experience into the most positive defining event of your life. It's really what you do now that is going to greatly determine your future.” (dd.darrenhardy.com/the-antidote) During crisis, I am personally in awe of how incredibly strong and resilient the human spirit is at meeting the challenges at hand. We stand in solidarity as we face these times together. We are not only human beings living within our communities here in the United States of America, we are all part of a global family. Together we will rise! Eliana Barriga [email protected] |
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December 2021
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