Businesses shut their doors all across the globe mid-March, right around New York City’s first confirmed coronavirus case. Since then, and with over 200,000 infected in NY state to date – it has become the epicenter of the global outbreak.
But now, after months of a devastating lockdown, New York City officially entered phase 1 of reopening stores. As many as 400,000 construction locations, public transition, manufacturing sites, and retail shops opened their doors, albeit limiting social-distancing restrictions.
Midway through the first week of phase 1, we can see an apparent uptick in ridership, according to Sarah Feinberg, interim president of New York City Transit. “There are absolutely more people in the system,” she concluded.
But does it mean things are anywhere close to looking normal? With masks, six-fee apart lines, social distancing floor markings, temperature checks, and free hand-sanitizers, things still don’t look like the pre-corona reality we used to take for granted.
This is happening just a week after curfews were lifted (the first used since WWII) due to the racial justice protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Three more phases of reopening are to follow. Outdoor dining, office-based jobs, real estate services, hair salons, and more will open their doors for Phase 2.
And more retail shops, too.
Meanwhile, and probably throughout these transition phases, sales would be more common than usual. Cause, for many, everything must go. Everything that has been sitting aimlessly in the dark, gathering dust for the past three months, as seasons passed and lines require renewals.
The question is, will shoppers feel comfortable enough to go out in masses and start shopping again? The virus remains a threat, and many are likely to stay cautious.
Not to mention skyrocketing unemployment. Even though there are said to be massive clearance sales, consumers may not allow themselves to get out there and shop. Not just yet.
If people do go out shopping again, it is not clear what they’ll buy, as predicting changes in customer behavior was tricky in recent months.
Perhaps, the comfy WFH attire (a fancy top and PJ bottoms) will stay trendy for the next few months? This chart says, yes:
“Although we’re still a long way from returning to the old normal we once knew, seeing lock-down conditions start to ease slightly in various countries gives us a little glimmer of hope,” said Celenie Seidel, senior womenswear editor at Farfetch, an online luxury retail platform – to Business Vogue.
“I believe that now is the time where people are starting to enjoy clothes again, along with the re-excitement of the idea of getting dressed up,” adding that she is hopeful that this increased interest was a sign that people are thinking about fashion again.
Skincare and cosmetics brands have been performing exceptionally well in the second half of March, perhaps due to pre-pampering Zoom sessions. Just a few more weeks will tell if this will be a more substantial change.
In countries where restrictions are already easing, including New Zealand, Australia, and Denmark, jumpsuits and handbags are the most frequently sold-out items in the past two weeks.
The question on every retailer’s mind right now should be what category of products to invest your sales efforts in? Are consumers ready to say goodbye to their at-home comfy stuff any time soon? Are they confident enough to shop, both financially and physically? Whatever the answers will be, we’ll keep you posted.