As a result of COVID-19, food Hispanic retail can change significantly forever.
To that end, the most successful supermarkets will be those that take immediate and calculated action now, while planning future steps to provide a safe and healthy store environment to support the emotional needs of customers and staff in the future.
The design of the store environment has the ability to provide security, mitigate health risks, and decrease the sense of anxiety that customers and employees feel today. Minimizing congestion points, creating clarity in traffic flow, non-contact solutions, and eliminating touchpoints will work together to achieve this.
Additionally, the strength of a brand and what it stands for and communicates also plays a special role in the food retail environment. It is important that the brand defends and communicates safety, well-being and reliable services
Distinctive elements of Hispanic retail brands include, among other things, the comforts provided by their personal warmth and service.
The friendly smiles, the recognition of customers by name, the social hub of the community that sits at the center of a colorful product presentation, the upbeat music, and the comfort we all feel around each other all provide moments memorable socials.
This is a powerful image. We all know it is an excellent example of the Hispanic grocery store. What a blow to our sense of culture this COVID-19 has been. What a blow on the Hispanic retailer, who have mastered the art of offering a delicious experience and now have to push back those sensitivities to provide a more restrictive and direct sense of discipline to help control the spread of the virus.
In my opinion, we can realize that these disturbances caused by the pandemic, while difficult and unexpected by their very nature, will result in a more convenient and safe environment.
Once this interruption is over, we will all return to enjoying our businesses and customers, as we will all find value and convenience again when visiting our stores.
It may turn out that the facilities we build today and advancements in technology, frictionless retailing, curbside pickup, etc., can help us provide a better shopping experience.
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As a result, we will have eliminated problems such as long lines at checkout, crowded customer service departments, as well as those time-consuming searches of the aisles to find new ingredients that we may not find after all.
I believe the new normal will provide a redefined experience and an opportunity for our clients to find the time, outside of their busy schedules, to indulge in the primitive human need to find food for themselves and their families.
All this in a safe social environment that will provide us with the human need to see and be seen and to confirm that we are not alone. This would reiterate the notion that it is worth living surrounded by others to smile, appreciate, and share moments.
By working together, professional retailers and designers who understand operational issues, customer needs, and preferences, we can deliver great shopping experiences and support the future of food retailing.