This week we take a look at the changing consumer perception and the factors affecting the retail industry in 2021.

WHAT’S IN THIS WEEKS EDITION, YOU ASK?

  • Financial relief and the effect on retail sales
  • The changing consumer perception in the furniture industry
  • Different ways to close the digital divide between online and physical stores
  • Dos Marcos mattress podcast explains creating a culture of ownership
  • Turn your foot traffic into more sales with a 90-day free trial of Doorcounts 3.0.

And, here’s what’s in next week’s edition: TBD

FOOT TRAFFIC INDEX

Here’s a look at last week’s foot traffic compared to the same time last year.

DC FEATURE OF THE WEEK

This is where each week we highlight a feature within Doorcounts. This week’s feature is:

Global Search

Finding the exact customer from a specific day or trying to find a specific order can be a time-consuming task.

In seconds with the Search tab in Doorcounts, you can search for a customer, a specific phone number, and an order number or date.

Within search, you can see all of the personal information added about each transaction such as what the customer was looking for or what their budget is.

TRY DOORCOUNTS 3.0 90 DAYS FREE!
…and cure YOUR traffic blindness! 

Get your 90-day free trial today and start turning your foot traffic into more sales, with no obligation.  And if you already have Doorcounts, get an upgrade.

FOOT TRAFFIC TRENDS

Industry insights so you can convert your foot traffic into more sales.

This week we take a deep dive into consumer behavior and end the factors that affected retail in 2021.

A shift in consumer behavior

From spending more time on leisure activities to an expectation for online and physical stores to coexist, the retail industry has seen a major shift in consumer behavior.
 
As we expected, the pandemic initially resulted in a major spike in online sales as people tried to limit their exposure.
 
 In 2021 there has been a shift from consumers exclusively shopping online to an expectation for online to be an extension of the physical store.
 
This is good news for retailers as it shows that consumers still want to shop in-store, but want to limit their time there.
 
Essentially, people want to find exactly what they want online and to be told exactly which store or location they can pick up the product. For retailers, this means having your website regularly updated with the inventory in-store.

US vs UK retail sales

While the US saw a 5.3% increase in sales in January 2021, the UK saw an 8.2% decrease. Why would this be?
 
Last month the second round of stimulus checks went out in the US.  As we know, if you give us Americans money, we will spend it.
 
It’s clear that there are multiple variables besides the pandemic that are affecting the retail foot traffic.
 
The UK, which received no financial relief within the last month, struggles to see constant foot traffic in their stores.
 
Compared to February 2020 before the pandemic was in full effect, retail sales volume is down 5.5% in the UK.
 
It is very likely that without the financial relief in the US, the retail industry would’ve seen a similar drop as the UK.

This week on Dos Marcos

this week our friends at Dos Marcos explains creating a culture of ownership and why you shouldn’t train salespeople to get things right.

Leisure time

Another shift in consumer behavior is consumers spending more time on leisure activities such as self-care, mental health, and physical wellness products.

 
This shift is a result of people spending a significantly more amount of time at home over the last year.
 
For the first time in ten years, the amount of time people spend watching television is up.
 
Thankfully for the furniture industry, more time spent watching tv means more time realizing how uncomfortable your couch is.
 
As always, we will keep you updated as consumer behavior continues to change.

Pandemic actions and consumer perception

As the pandemic continues, consumer perception of stores is changing depending on the actions and messaging of retailers.
 
A study that polled 2,000 retailers in the US and UK found that 86% of people have changed their perception and 70% have changed their behavior toward certain companies because of the pandemic.
 
While some customers want to feel as safe as possible, others want to feel like they can have a normal shopping experience.
 
There’s no right or wrong solution to consumer perception, but you can never go wrong with being clear with your customers about what you are doing in the current retail environment.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

The other side: What to expect in retail as more and more of the population become vaccinated.
 
Furniture industry: A recent survey from the Furniture Industry Index state suggests the state of the furniture industry continues to improve.
 
Tik Tok to sales: A viral Tik Tok helped a soda brand increase its sales 200% in just one day.
 
Winter in retail: As a winter storm sweeps across the United States, see the effect the snowy conditions had on retail.

RANDOM IRRELEVANCE

Future of endangered species: Scientists have cloned the first U.S. endangered species from the genes of an animal that died more than 30 years ago.
 
Lincoln in the snow: A man from New Jersey created a life-size snow sculpture of the Lincoln Memorial.
 
Act of kindness: A Houston furniture store offers shelter after a winter storm causes many people to search for a warm place to sleep.
 
Three mile: A 90-year-old Seattle woman trudged three miles through 10 inches of snow to get her vaccine shot.