Retailers Face Challenges as They Set Store Openings

With more than 630,000 retail doors shuttered due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to Coresight Research, reopening stores is expected to be a gradual process. Industry experts also say companies face a host of challenges in regard to facilities management as well as consumers who have varying degrees of comfort and feelings of safety. Regarding the latter, First Insight Inc. recently published a consumer survey gauging where shoppers feel safest. The report found that 54 percent cited grocery stores, followed by drug store chains at 50 percent and 45 percent at big-box retailers. The company noted that 43 percent said the same for “local small businesses and warehouse clubs, respectively,” while malls “were ranked lowest with only 33 percent of respondents saying they would feel safe shopping in these locations.” Tom Buiocchi, chief executive officer of ServiceChannel, said safety needs to be a top priority. “Reopening stores is more complex than most people realize, especially since it has never happened at the scale or speed that it will happen now,” Buiocchi told WWD. “First, retailers need to ensure their facilities and operations meet new health guidelines. These vary from state to state, so it requires a tailored approach rather than one size

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