Heres how retail therapy will work in Post-Lockdown world

Last month House of Angadi Bengalurus heritage textile and lifestyle outpost opened its doors to customers after a sixweek lockdown An Instagram post by the store clarified what its highprofile customers could expect when they came by for a shopping experience No more than two clients per service area distribution of waiting tokens and the suggestion to leave handbags in the car and simply carry a payment card Its founder K Radharaman has seen clients follow the regulations since they resumed operations on May 4K RadharamanAs of last Friday shops selling consumer discretionary goods and services have been given the goahead to reopen in Mumbai as part of phase one of the lifting of the lockdown Stores will operate on oddeven day basis although malls are going to have to wait a little longer to open This means that after other metros Delhi Hyderabad Bengaluru Mumbais designer stores are going to have to devise new rules of retailIt seems then that the biggest trend of this season is not the embracing of a specific look but a collective expression of solidaritymdashwe are all in this together And the question on everyones mind is common toomdashwhat nextImran AmedThere are many challenges the biggest of which is simply getting people to feel safe and secure when going back to the stores writes Imran Amed in an email interview Londonbased founder editorinchief and CEO of The Business of Fashion Amed suggests that stores communicate clearly about the measures being taken Better to over communicate about the measures in owned channels and instore he saysAnchal JainBut safety aside opening up fashion retail is going to be a rethinking of merchandising a sharper product mix combined with latest AR tools to deliver a more personalised immersive emotional and seductive customer experience including winning back trust amongst the customers to touch try and buy clothing according to Anchal Jain founding partner at ValMore Action Advisory and faculty cochair at Creative amp Cultural Businesses IIM Ahmedabad With an entrepreneurial and academic experience that spans 30 years in the lifestyle industry Jain has built brands in India and Europe participating closely in the value chain management including trend forecasting and data analysisApart from putting mandatory safety measures in place we have also divided our staff into teams of three to prevent exacerbating the risk of disease says Tina Tahiliani Parikh of Ensemble IndiaAs Mumbais standalone fashion businesses invent new strategies and seek fresh motivation to encourage a pandemicera retail experience the roster of rules is ready Experience gained at her multibrand store in Delhis Khan Market will come handy for Tina Tahiliani Parikh when she opens her flagship Mumbai outpost Ensemble at Lion Gate Apart from putting mandatory safety measures in place we have also divided our staff into teams of three to prevent exacerbating the risk of disease says the executive director at Ensemble India Clients wearing a mask will follow a temperature check with an IR thermometer before entering the store and maintain physical distancing as the staff mans sanitisation stations and oversees frequent cleaning of highfrequency touch points All clothing items that have been touched will be quarantined for anywhere between 24 to 72 hours and later steam ironed The staff will wear face masks and gloves at all times and submit to health checksMumbaibased designer Manish Malhotra unlocked the doors to his flagship bridalwear stores in Hyderabad and Delhi on May 22 And its luckily because both happen to be spread over 15000 sq ft that it will be easier for the staff to accommodate clients even while following the new physical distancing norms We are however making structural changes at our Mumbai stores where we sell our bridal wear 7000 square feet and diffusion line 2000 square feet to create more space and promote oneway traffic Malhotra saysTina Tahiliani ParikhWhile standalone stores are gradually figuring how to work around the limitations multibrand and experience malls like Lower Parels Palladium and High Street Phoenix HSP are prepping to meet new norms We will always welcome a discerning set of customers and they need to be informed that as a matter of fact malls are safer than standalone stores The customers will expect us to deliver on the governments safety guidelines says Gayatri Ruia development director at Palladium and HSPGayatri RuiaLike the Shopping Centre of India has created guidelines for malls the Retailers Association of India has also introduced specific mandates for retailers Ruia informs which start right at the warehouse till the goods are invoiced and delivered to customers Since Palladium and HSP house mostly international brands including Burberry Gucci Emporio Armani Bottega Veneta Jimmy Choo Tods along with high street retail chains Zara and HampM the brands on their part will activate strict controls and SOPs to ensure customer safetyWhile Manish Malhotras Hyderabad and Delhi stores are spread across 15000 sq ft and allow for physical distancing the Mumbai storesmdashbridal and diffusion linemdashunder 7000 sq ft are undergoing structural changes to create more space and oneway trafficFor the common areas of the malls including the food court Ruia says entry will be controlled as per government guidelines see box We are also installing a special software that will offer us a sense of real time customer density inside the mall which will be integrated with the mall CCTV she addsManish MalhotraMaybe were all going to remain six feet apart for months to come Rather than exchange germs well shop online video call the stores instead of visiting pay electronically instead of handling cash But the fashion retail players are beginning to sense a shift in mood both a settling in for the long haul and the impatience of getting on with business Those may seem to be paradoxical impulses but they lead to a similar place a slight weakening of the virus stranglehold on peoples resolve We can either lose time moaning about what is not anymore or think about what can be Rare are the moments when you can shape the future this is one such time Jain says over emailPayal Khandwala designThis rare moment has also compelled designers to have significant discussions around the purpose of fashion Designers have to slow down Consumers are changing their relationship with consumption they do not want more Its also time to imagine a new business model where sales at the till cannot be the ultimate goal for a designer The onus is on us to ask what does fashion actually mean now feels MalhotraThere is a great advantage in buying locally by ethical labels suggests Tahiliani Parikh Across our stores and website we are encouraging customers to see value in conscious consumption buy less buy better Our stylists are also offering tips on how to rewear an outfit by accessorising and styling it differently Jain agrees Its sustainable and mindful brands that will dominate and become more transparent and demanding He shares A sustainable brand can also be hedonistic in its values and still connect with the customers if its tone and content is honest and authenticPayal Khandwala has introduced a virtual shopping service that allows clients to shop at her store without leaving their homesRadharaman says its only a matter of time before we see the positives emerge from the pandemic A case of over commodisation had made way for imitation production Overall I think this crisis will lead to a trimming of the herd Only those players with a serious sustainable approach to the business will surviveRadharamans outposts have been functioning in keeping with WHOrecommended safety norms Client traffic at our three physical stores is 50 per centIts not bad I would say given the situation he adds on an optimistic noteFashion buying will never be the same But then it seems that nothing will Customers are not pouring in like before observes Malhotra They are making enquiries and requesting that we send images of designs rather than visiting the store Weve seen a similar sentiment online The buying season will pick up only in OctoberPayal Khandwala reopened her Bengaluru store two weeks ago but clients remain hesitant to step out She expects similar trepidation when her Mumbai stores pull up the shutters Shopping is not going away but its definitely changing Khandwala says The Mumbaibased designer has introduced a virtual shopping service where clients can call in with their requirements mentioning details down to the fabric Her staff then photographs outfit options displayed on hangers and mannequins Once the selection is made either over the phone or online the outfits are couriered free of cost It is our way of extending a little personal shopping experience and doing so virtually seems like an efficient way right nowThe countrys leading biannual fashion showcase LakmeIgraveAcirc Fashion Week LFW is in the midst of introducing a virtual showroom an online marketplace for designers and artisans The online concept a first for LFW unfolds in two ways The first is a B2B onestop repository for designers to showcase their future collections to multidesigner store buyers across the world Here the LFW team will create a coded web design builtin with video and image uploading software and share it with participating designers Since B2B is a startup programme we wont be charging fees from designers or buyers to participate If things go well and it adds value to the LFW brand we might have a conversation about charging later says Jaspreet Chandok head of lifestyle businesses IMG Reliance The other is a B2C platform where LFW will collaborate with an ecommerce site to develop a platform for designers to sell their past and current collections directly to customersJaspreet ChandokRuia urges retailers to redefine the role of the store to effectively cater to changing customer preferences Make the customer feel special by allowing exclusive access to merchandise through instore only and instore first programmes Furthermore divert recent uptick of online platforms to complement brick and mortar operations with a click and collect modelTrousseau designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has launched contactless delivery of products purchased through video conferencing Reaching customers digitally is the obvious way forward for any brand but Jain recommends going a step ahead to create an omnibrand It is not just about delivering an integrated omnichannel Instead create a brand proposition in itself as 360degree consumer experience Id expect the consumers to be more picky and since trust is critical there is an opportunity for already trusted brands to reevaluate their value propositions and bring those to the customer in a more holistic way This is a great time for sensible brand extensions without losing individual essence explains Jain There is pentup demand says Radharaman but its directed towards needbased rather than impulse buying So while the demand for readytowear RTW has not picked up yet with teachers IT professionals and architects still WFH there is a steady stream of enquiries from those who are planning their wedding he shares For customers who are reluctant to step out we have introduced byappointment video call facilitiesThe staff will wear gloves face masks and shields and sanitise frequent touch points regularlyIn India a large chunk of the fashion market is the trousseau market And wedding spenders are very different from fashion shoppers The argument in its simplest form is this weddings are an occasion so deeply embedded in our culture that they are more resilient to blowsI agree that they are not going anywhere and therefore bridalwear will still remain an important market Although like other parts of the fashion industry it is likely to contract significantly in the shorttermAmed saysBut thats not to say that the magnitude of pomp and ceremony wont be put on a diet of moderation Given the need for distance a tough economic environment and shifting values around excess and ostentation Amed predicts weddings will likely be more intimate and less showy and therefore wedding parties will be smaller and simpler So while the guestlist may slim down from 200 to 50 the bride and groom will still want to dress up for their special day Malhotra concurs Its going to be a new way of living I cant fly to Delhi for every appointment like before so we are building on personalising our WhatsApp messaging and video conferencingI dont see why this video calls could not be possible especially as big groups of people in a family going bridal shopping is out of the question midpandemic Maybe there is a hybrid model where the bride and one family member go to the physical store and the rest of the family joins via video Amed recommends Radharaman has already noticed the trend of smaller groups visiting his bridalwear stores while the elders stay home They trousseau customers are not in the mood to window shop They come well prepared with a clear idea of what they want so that they dont spend extra time In the absence of trial room facilities RTW will see difficulties around fit and form but thats not the case with the onesizefitsall saree Thats one silhouette that does not need to be tried on Radharaman saysWhat to expect when malls open upPalladium and High Street Phoenix will conduct mandatory temperature checks on customers expect them to wait in queue while maintaining physical distancing guided by stickers and markersCourtesy Palladium and High Street PhoenixUndergo temperature checks at the entrance with contactless infrared thermometersUse hand sanitisers placed at multiple locations in the mallStand in queue along the floor markers placed at the mall to ensure physical distancingUV Ray baggage scanners along with the baggage Xray scanners which will ensure that the bags you carry are disinfected at the mall entranceContactless and digital paymentKiosks for purchasing of masks and sanitisersFloor queue marking to be followed in elevators escalators restrooms FampB and other retail outletsElevator buttons only to be operated by the elevator attendantTouchfree parking with digital paymentsBefore exiting you will place all shopping bags in a centralised UV ray disinfecting boxCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news