Reed Gift Fairs: Interview with Retail Life

Describe what you do in 5 words

Breathe life into Australian retail

Why do you love what you do?

Being a retail consultant allows me to inspire and motivate people to take action to change and improve their business performance.

What does a day in your 'new normal' life look like?

With the commencement of the COVID-19 restrictions came work from home for my husband and I along with home schooling for our daughter. As a family we prioritised exercise into our everyday routine, daily games of Trouble as well as challenging ourselves to complete goals such as photo projects, garden projects and finishing those tasks we have had on our To Do list for way too long.

What feedback have you got from your customers on how it is to be in retail right now?

Our clients have seen significant changes to their businesses and have faced loss of staff, loss of sales, disruption to supply chains; the need to constantly shift to meet changing regulations and struggle to keep up with the day to day pressures. From the initial emotions of worry,

The one focal point that I deemed a nonnegotiable was that of communication. Staying in touch, checking in – it is what all businesses need to do. At Retail Life, we have been focused on understanding the changes to retail, the challenges faced by retailers as well as tracking the positive changes that have seen retailers not only survive, but open up to new business opportunities.

angst, desperation and despair we very quickly saw business owners fighting back, pivoting their businesses, and taking a proactive approach to optimising their business performance. The feedback is centred around – now is the time to make change happen, act and come back fighting for survival. There will be many businesses that will struggle to survive and some that will not make it. For others this will be the catalyst they needed to move in a different direction.

How had COVID-19 impacted your business?

Within our business currently everything is now done virtually and planning for the future integrates the possibility of remote and/or face to face engagement. We had to find out the changing needs of our clients and how we, could meet and exceed those needs.

With the start of isolation and significant changes to the business, Retail Life implemented 3 key focuses:

Be Retail Ready – Retail Ready Tactics across social media and the implementation of FaceTime Tactic Sessions, Zoom Mentoring Sessions and Remote Express Sessions. We are also launching our Retail Ready Tactics Podcast Series!

Retail Reset Game Plan – developed to support and motivate retailers to develop a Retail Reset Strategy and take action to maximise their sales and profitability both now and in the future

Get Retail Savvy Community – We meet hundreds of retailers every year and know that most of them do not have the essential business foundations in place that will allow them to grow, expand and drive business longevity.

With that in mind we are busy behind the scenes preparing for the launch of our Education Community. We will offer an integration of online and offline education which will merge to form our Community of Retail Lifers whose main priority will be to Get Retail Savvy.

The aim being to learn and then come together to drive a collaborative approach to business performance and development. It is like conducting a think tank for your business but using the minds and talents of likeminded retailers – extremely exciting!

Where the retail industry will land:

I believe that the new retail landscape will see a far quicker and prioritised adoption of technology. Collaboration between all parties – landlords, wholesalers, suppliers and retailers will be the way of the future and fundamental to bringing retail experiences to life.

Customer connection and loyalty will be paramount to retail success. Independent retailers need to take advantage of the inexpensive and easy to use technology options available to create platforms to communicate with their customers.

It will be imperative to know and understand target markets intimately and adapt and deliver on their needs and wants. Effective, consistent and regular communication is critical so that retail businesses can stay in the forefront of their customers minds and build a committed, strong and loyal tribe.

Cultivating and nurturing customer relationships is key to building a tribe of loyal customers and motivating customers to return for more. The essential elements for driving repeat customers include:

Experience – where customers will fall in love with brands through in-store experiences.

Personalisation – which may be through personalising products and choices or through targeted marketing driving an enhanced and engaged shopping experience where loyalty will be rewarded.

Convenience – for retailers this will be understanding what convenience means on an individual customer level. Understanding and delivering convenience for a specific customer, in their moment, for their lifestyle and needs and delivers a frictionless experience.

Resilience:

Australians are renowned for their tenacity and ability to dig deep. From bushfires to floods, droughts and now COVID-19 Australian retailers will reset their retail compass and survive. We will see innovation, collaboration and a strong sense of resilience transform businesses and individuals. We will see opportunities open new doors, new careers path and I believe a greater balanced lifestyle where the importance of self-care, time with family and a stronger focus on health and wellbeing integrated into all workplaces.

The secrets to getting a customer to return for more:

Cultivating and nurturing customer relationships is key to building a tribe of loyal customers and

What is the key element of successful trade event?

For an exhibitor, a successful trade event will hinge on understanding their consumers and delivering them a complete solution. Delivering a dynamic first impression, where you portray a positive image of your brand that results in desire and action by the buyer. Retailers will be searching for innovative, creative and saleable product ranges that meet and exceed the needs of their customers. They will be searching for wholesalers who can assist them to deliver a point of difference, customise ranges to suit their requirements and create an easy transition to store through packaging and display.

What are your top 5 tips for business owners right now?

• Be agile

• Pivot where needed

• Reset your retail business strategy

• Incorporate a health and wellbeing mindset

• Be opportunistic

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