COVID-19 Resources: Leadership, Data, Returning to Work, and More

Welcome to this week's Retail Resources, which features a curated list of the best content and resources that I hope will help you navigate the coronavirus pandemic. This week, I offer information and resources about leadership, interesting data, information on returning to work, and more. If there's anything you would like me to share in a future post, let me know by dropping me a line at mcampanelli@napco.com.

Leadership

• Total Retail and its sister brand, Women in Retail Leadership Circle, hosted their second Women in Retail and Total Retail Virtual Exchange event on May 28. The virtual event featured interviews with retail leaders addressing topics such as how they’re pivoting their businesses during the pandemic to how they're leading and motivating employees, among others. The virtual exchange featured interviews with Chieh Huang, CEO, Boxed; Winnie Park, CEO, Paper Source; Anthony Marino, president, thredUP; and Deirdre Quinn, co-founder and CEO, Lafayette 148 New York. Click here to download a video replay of the event.
• For an inside look at how the fashion industry is changing due to COVID-19, check out this report from Martens & Heads! Executive Consultancy, which compiles responses from a questionnaire Martens & Heads sent to its retail- and fashion-based clients and members of its network. The report gives a great overview around how the fashion industry is dealing — and how executives are feeling — given the current pandemic

Interesting Data

• Check out this dashboard from SafeGraph, a data-focused company that provides open access to geo-spatial data. Updated daily, it features datasets of foot traffic counts and other insights for a variety of categories such as restaurants, general merchandise stores, shopping malls, movie theaters and more. With data on more than 5,500 retail chains, and 3 million mom-and-pop businesses, the dashboard provides great insight into the U.S. retail industry and economic recovery.
• In its annual e-commerce consumer study, Dotcom Distribution found that the current pandemic has presented specific opportunities for brands to attract consumers, such as capitalizing on shopping as an entertainment activity and activating purchase-driven charitable initiatives. For example, 26 percent of online shoppers reported making more online purchases out of boredom, and 13 percent of respondents reported making a point to purchase products that support charitable initiatives. Check out the study for a good overview of how consumer behavior around online shopping has changed during the pandemic — and in some ways stayed the same.

Returning to Work

• This handy guide from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, a labor and employment law practice, offers information to help the thousands of employers now preparing for the gradual return of employees back to corporate offices and workplaces. The guide includes everything from workplace safety rules to how to handle benefits, workers compensation and more. Another plus: it's written in a clear, easy-to-understand style.
• Worker compensation and workplace safety aren't the only concerns on employers’ minds these days as employees head back to work; the mental health of their employees ranks high as well. Some employees will be fearful to return because they have no idea what will meet them at the door, and they also may experience disorientation, anxiety, panic attacks, personality changes, depression, isolation, and more. These situations, however, can be managed with appropriate HR support, empathy, flexibility and adequate time to adjust. This article from Human Resources Executive is a good place to start to get information on how best to handle these return-to-work situations.