What now for stores after the pandemic?

Cafes/Restaurants will be okay if they can survive at least 6-8 months without money imo.

Most of the industries now thinking to switch to eCommerce to survive, not possible for every industry will have to find an alternate way for atleast couple of years to gain customer attention and increase in revenue.

Retail stores will open soon, and people will shop wearing masks.

I have a retail store that I re-opened last Monday. Business is slightly below normal, but easily survivable.

The businesses that will have a tougher time are gyms and bars.

Many offices are running fine with telecommuting - and my guess is quite a few larger businesses may rethink their 'onsite' work habits. Why pay for office space - maintain parking lots - heat and cool large areas if it turns out workers are just as efficient from home?

My daughter-in-law will be working from home at least until Fall - and maybe beyond that. She has online conferences/disussions daily with others in her division and said she is getting more done NOW becuase there are no interruptions.

Some people won't have the space or quiet at home to do this but I do think this pandemic will move 'telecommuting' ahead in a big way.

Retail stores are opening here - i think there might be some over control going on - the idea of limiting number of people in a store is probably a good one. Our groceries have always had disinfecting 'wipes' available at entries to clean cart handles. I always used them but now I see everyone using them.

There are pluses for the public when stores are cleaning more frequently - wiping down display cases and counters and handles on a regular basis. i do think we are in the 'time' when people tend to over-react. I think it's your business if you wear a mask - it's not your business if someone else doesn't.


I think the future of retail stores after this pandemic won't be obvious perhaps until the Christmas shopping season.

Large numbers of retail outlets, including some of the big ones, were already doing poorly before the pandemic. Changes in consumer shopping to online has been an ongoing pattern over at least the past 15 years.

The last recession in 2008 and again the current one has been nails in the coffins of thousands of businesses that failed to adapt.

It appears a sound business model for retail is perhaps like Amazon and Walmart. They each have a robust physical and online presence with automation and technology for meeting current consumer demands and buying patterns.

I did some reading last week, and I was surprised to see that some of the logistics companies had their "last mile" of delivery (the most expensive) covered by independent contractors. I could be wrong, but I get the impression said contractors are responsible for their own routing (often done by hand). I was very surprised as I think corporate probably have resources to help them with this.

It might be a very small window of opportunity?

I think there will be a kind of awareness among the people even after the epidemic is gone which will have an impact on the shops where both the shopkeepers and the customers will be aware.

People will be shopping with gloves and masks much like what is going on at grocery stores. 6 feet distancing and limited amounts of customers in the store. What really need to come back fan free are the Sports leagues.

Simple truth - sports and the huge salaries paid - depend on the high entrance fees and on the commercial space sold.

I don't see any way a 'spectator' sports iwll be as captivating online as it is in a stadium - but i'm not a huge sports fan. I've been at parties that revolve around watching football on TV so maybe it's possible....would enough people pay to watch televised/streaming games to make teams profitable or even sustainable?

The "roar of the crowd" is a huge part of sports - even of televised sports. Sports betting is taking a huge hit - lot ot money being lost on many fronts in several major sports. This is one the businesses that will have challenges re-opening.

Some stores like Neiman-Marcus have been teetering on the brink of closure for years...and this does them in. Macy's may be another one though Macy's customer service may keep them viable for a while longer. Penney's is another on the brink - they can't close many more stores without going out of business entirely.

In nearby Cincinnati - restaurants are expanding into the sidewalks and into the streets. With the City's help, they are 'social distancing' their tables by taking over outside space to allow enough customers to maintain the business. Some small retailers may be able to do the same for the summer season.

Social distancing is hard on any business that relies on a customer count such as restaurants, movie theaters, live theatre, concerts, etc. Will be interesting to see

a) how businesses adapt to social distancing and manage to stay in business
b) whether 'social distancing' is a flash in the pan that will be discarded before long

Vegas will come back but it is going to take some real changes to the way we were. Casinos in Las Vegas will begin opening early June. Some restaurants are open now with limited seating. As stated prior gyms and bars will have a tough times and unfortunately so will Vegas shows and buffets.

With online classes, I wonder how brick and mortar bookstores are going to survive this. It doesn't make sense to buy school supplies anymore. And it makes more sense for school book publishers to create and sell ebook copies directly to schools and students now than to course it through your neighborhood bookstore.

We are getting groceries and essential products now. but still there are are so many things we need, like cloths (not party wear, regular wears). So if any cloths & garments company can offer the product deliveries with hygienic, it will be a good deal.

Businesses are moving to newer ways of working, that would've seemed unviable earlier. Many companies have adapted to WFH, and even I have been working from home for the past two months. I work in IT in a retail company, btw.

But since several services require in-store visits, maintaining social distancing and hygiene has been the priority for store owners. Retail stores are opening and most have made it compulsory for customers to wear masks.

Stores are more frequently sanitized now. The staff is trained accordingly. I talked to a store manager the other day and got to know about the steps they've taken. I was amazed when they mentioned how customers still argue about wearing masks in the store. They still find it difficult to manage large crowds. Walk-ins in large numbers increase the risk of crowding and hence contamination.

I am still reconsidering whether I should visit the supermarket or not. is a good resource I found on another forum while searching for solutions to make stores safer. I feel it is uncertain when the situation will improve but I'd definitely recommend the store managers to take steps, or else, I'm definitely shopping online.

I believe that the new normal is to accept that we have to change!

I don't understand comments like this - maybe it's regional. We have big dept stores that have been open all along and have clothing. But...Who can't go for 2 months without buying clothes?



I think a lot of people are letting unreasonable fears limit them now. I'm going to the grocery in a few minutes. I'll wear a mask - if others don't it's none of my business. I'll keep my own distance from other people and not worry about their distancing. common sense goes a long way even in times like this

after this pandemic many shops unfortunately closed

It will be like flying prior to 9/11, it was always a joy to fly the friendly skys and then after 9/11 it was not so friendly.

Pre Coronavirus will be different that Post Coronavirus times but we will survive just with a few changes.

I think even online will take a bit of a hit Post Coronavirus but life will go on.

The World Has Not Ended it just Changed.

Everything that starts has bugs to be worked out but like anything else, time and trial and error usually grows better ways to do things, even when it is done online.

I think the best thing to do for businesses that depended on physical stores is to turn towards eCommerce. The focus should be shifted towards developing good online stores and keep working on them to make them easily accessible for the customers. Although, turning to eCommerce is not possible for every industry but those that can should most definitely make it a priority.

Anyone in a country where total shutdowns are taking place again?

The stores that are most likely to thrive are the ones that can go from open to delivery/pickup only intermittently until the pandemic is over or the vaccine is adopted.

It's time for small businesses to move online. They can consider integrating technology into their businesses. The food delivery businesses are booming even in this pandemic. This is a great opportunity.

Cafe, restaurents, home appliances, pharmaceuticals stores .......I think