Changes Required In Retailers Behaviours– Post-COVID
                     Changes Required In Retailers Behaviours– 
Post-COVID
Yash Kumar
Writes for search-marketing.in, 
provides information on 
Digital marketing in india to 
improve Digital marketing strategies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all the facets of our lives in 
an unprecedented manner. People all across the globe including India 
are forced to change the habits of their day to day existence in ways 
that they never thought they have to.
In the midst of all this, the retail sector of India has been very badly 
affected. With the countrywide lockdown,most of the retail 
businesses apart from the essential goods had to remain closed. Once 
the lockdown started getting lifted phase by phase, retail stores 
started to open but they could never go back to their old ways of 
functioning.
The retail sector in India needs to change the way they normally do 
their business as otherwise, they would not be able to deal with the 
present challenges that have come up due to the pandemic.
Crowds in stores, not good anymore
Traditionally in India, retail stores have always believed that 
crowded stores are always good for business as it has been typically 
associated with good branding and promotion practices. Therefore, 
retail stores always focused on making use of subtle and not-so-
subtle methods to encourage more people into the store so that 
onlookers have the impression that it is a retail store that they should 
check out.
Even restaurants that had a lot of people gathering to get service were 
deemed as successful businesses as this showed that many customers 
valued the quality of the food that they had to offer. However, such 
things must change now if companies have to survive the 
competition in a world that has been changed by the coronavirus 
situation.
Get ready for more delivery-based business and handling 
customers via phone calls/apps
One of the biggest shortcomings of a standard Indian retail store has 
been their reluctance to serve customers remotely. Usually, there is 
no scope for pre-orders and customers must visit the store physically 
if they are to receive any kind of service or attention. Even if 
customers call up the store to enquire about any specific product, in 
most cases the shopkeepers do not show any real interest to attend to 
the queries of the prospective customers. This eventually leaves no 
choice to the customers who must find time from their busy 
schedules and come down to the store physically at some point. 
However, treating customers in this way is not going to help retail 
stores to accomplish much when they are looking to boost their sales 
now under a very different market situation.
Retailers have to change the mindset
As practicing social distancing is important now to avoid being 
affected by the coronavirus, it is not advisable for people to gather in 
a small area, like for instance inside a retail shop. However, this has 
become challenging now as most of India now has the monsoon 
season. It is recommended that all the customers do not gather inside 
a retail store. However, to do that would mean some people have to 
stand outside the store and wait. This has become very difficult now 
as there is rain outside in many cases.
Retailers need to re-think their assumptions of customer 
behavior
Therefore, retail stores have to change their way of operation so that 
they can encourage more customers to buy their products without 
being present in the store. Pre-bookings and home deliveries will 
increase when it comes to doing business while ensuring safety for 
all. Those retailers who cope with this will see business improve and 
others may see lost business.
About Search-marketing 
Search-marketing.in website is a useful resource which caters to 
micro businesses on developments in digital marketing in India. It 
provides information on digital marketing strategies and helps Indian 
micro businesses to establish strong online presence and to leverage 
the Internet for business performance and growth.
Thank you for reading this article!