Businesses Continue to Offer Support During COVID-19 Crisis

Total Retail is continuing its daily coverage of the COVID-19 global pandemic, with a specific focus on how retailers and brands are responding to the crisis. As retailers try to figure out the best course of action for their businesses, it's helpful to look at the ways others in the community are responding. Take a look at the latest updates from organizations and individuals offering support or advice during this uncertain time:

• ReposiTrak, the industry leader in solutions for stock replenishment, compliance, sourcing, food safety and risk management for the retail supply chain, is making its online MarketPlace free as an industry service to retailers in these trying times so they can find new, alternative or backup suppliers to help keep products flowing into stores. Retailers can click here to learn more about how MarketPlace works and request access.
• Total Retail's sister brand, Women in Retail Leadership Circle, published a video with Susie Kuhn, vice president/general manager at Foot Locker Europe, in which she talks about how she’s leading her team in a new role in a new country — all amidst a global crisis. Kuhn shares her firsthand experiences and expert advice on successfully leading cross-cultural teams, offers a few self-care tips that are helping her cope during this time, and more. Click here to watch this video with Susie Kuhn on crisis management.
• The Army & Air Force Exchange is asking shoppers to join the fight against COVID-19 by limiting cash transactions wherever possible at Exchanges worldwide. The request is aimed at keeping point-of-sale areas as sanitary as possible during the pandemic. Exchanges worldwide will now ask customers to make purchases using a bank-issued credit or debit card, MILITARY STAR® card, or gift card instead of cash.
• Pushnami, a push notification platform built for marketers, will offer its platform for free to all new customers starting today. In response to sudden impacts that online companies face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, these businesses will be able to use Pushnami at no cost for up to six months.
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is switching from making beer to cranking out hand sanitizer to provide for the state of Delaware. The Dogfish sanitizer won’t be sold directly to the public, but will be sent to groups like healthcare facilities and first responders.
• Ford Motor Company, joining forces with firms including 3M and GE Healthcare, is lending its manufacturing and engineering expertise to quickly expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies for healthcare workers, first responders and patients fighting coronavirus. In addition, Ford plans to assemble more than 100,000 face shields per week and leverage its in-house 3D printing capability to produce components for use in personal protective equipment.
• Just The Cheese, a small, family-owned company in rural Wisconsin and No. 1 cheese snack on Amazon.com, is providing ride-share services to all employees to make sure they can get to work safely each day. The company is also sending any excess product to food banks and hospitals, where a shelf-stable cheese snack is welcome.
• Kryon, a leader in enterprise automation, is offering its robotic process automation solution free of charge to any healthcare service or government organization to help fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes after the provider integrated Maccabi Healthcare Services’ testing of COVID-19 with the Israeli Ministry of Health in under 48 hours. For more information, click here.
• Customer data platform Exponea announced it will be making its Weblayers Starter product available at no cost through the end of April to companies needing expedited communication with customers via their website.

If you see any great business tips or pressing news related to how retailers are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, please comment below to add to this list.