From new retail guidelines to the effects of the booming real estate market, this week we explore everything new in the retail world.

WHAT’S IN STORE THIS WEEK?

  • The effect new technology has on training employees
  • How the new CDC guidelines will affect retail
  • Furniture trends that will outlive the pandemic
  • Doorcounts chat

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:

Sales Performance – Add on Items

Add-on items are a great way to increase your average ticket and complete a customer’s purchase.

Tracking your add-on items is essential for being able to see if the items are priced appropriately enough to get customers over the buying line.

The Add-On Items tab lets you can see the percent of transactions as a whole that add-on items represent and also the percent of specific sales.

FOOT TRAFFIC TRENDS

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

Doorcounts chat

A couple of weeks ago we released our biggest update to Doorcounts yet.

One of the features that was added, the chat feature, quickly became a hit amongst users.

The chat feature opened our eyes to the need for more human interaction between user and software.

We had a great time chatting with users about everything from the weather, to our favorite sports teams, to finding a feature on the new interface.

The chat feature will be added back shortly after a few adjustments are made so that we can disable the feature for companies who do not wish to have it.

We look forward to talking to you all again soon!

Retail breakthrough

After the CDC announced the new mask guidelines that allow for fully masked individuals to return to normal activities without a mask, retailers across the country are deciding whether or not they will update their store guidelines.
 
Although the CDC advises that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks under certain circumstances, the final decision on masks is still up to the store owners.
 
Retailers such as Trader Joes have already updated their guidelines to allow fully vaccinated no longer need a mask. Other retailers such as Target, Macy’s, Kroger, Publix, and Home Depot still require masks.

Labor imbalance

As the retail industry continues to evolve, e-commerce and technology have played a major role in a majority of the changes.
 
With new technologies continue to emerge, retailers across multiple industries are facing the issue of their employees lacking the skills to address the new technological needs of retail.
 
Although the US job openings reached a record high in March, retail jobs are not the same as they were just a year ago.
 
Retailers are beginning to retrain their workers to equip them with more technological skills rather than selling techniques.

Furniture trends

As home makeovers and remote working became more and more common throughout the pandemic, the furniture industry felt the rush first-hand.
 
The real question is whether or not this rush has seen its final days or is this just the beginning?
 
Although more people are getting vaccinated, it seems like working from home may be a trend that continues well after the pandemic.
 
A recent study found that 83% of employers now say the shift to remote work has been successful. 
 
The longer people work from home, the more improvements they will make to their home office and their house as a whole.
 
Along with people working remotely for a prolonged time, the number of single-person homes continues to rise in 2021. More single homes mean fewer people living together and a higher demand for furniture.
 
Overall, it seems like the furniture rush is nowhere near its end.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Home retail: Has the home furnishing rush of the pandemic seen its final days?
 
Shop small, shop local: How a simple message can go a long way for independent retailers.
 
Digital price tags: Nationwide Marketing Group and Pricer announce a preferred partner program for digital price tags.
 
No-touch: Tech trends that are destined to outlive the pandemic.

RANDOM IRRELEVANCE

RoboMosquito: The U.S.’s first open-air genetically modified mosquitoes have taken flight.
 
Crypto mining: Everything you need to know about Crypto mining and its effect on the environment.
 
Chicken hunt: After a Chinese zoo covered up a leopard escape, 100 chickens are searching for the big cat.
 
Blood moon: Don’t miss the “Super Blood Moon” Eclipse to be seen on May 26.