Retailers need their own “Plan B” amid tightening restrictions

The in-store bounce back was never guaranteed for retailers this quarter. But now, with the government’s ‘Plan B’ measures guaranteed to hit footfall, reliance on physical sales is becoming increasingly dubious. It’s time to diversify.

Highstreet premises can still be put to good use, regardless of further restrictions, if retailers are willing to step outside the traditional customer journey, like adopting a Dark Store model.

The Dark Store combines the strengths of both online and physical stores to offer shoppers an optimal customer experience. For example, during the last lockdown, Lush Oxford Street started delivering online orders via foot or on bike. It worked so well with the High Street branch that they rolled it out across 45 other shops in the UK. It’s this kind of out the box, ‘work with what you’ve got’, attitude that will empower retailers to keep growing amid these ‘Plan B’ restrictions.

Our clients who have set up Dark Stores are seeing their Average Order Value increase by around 200%. The addition of the live-video element of the Dark Store empowers shoppers to make complex and considered purchasing decisions and enhances the experience of shopping online, without compromising on the safety of staff or customers.