After having drawn lessons from the recent COVID-19 pandemic for retailers in the previous chapters, in this last chapter we provide an outline on retailing over a longer time horizon. We start with projections of how the phygitalization trend in retailing will further evolve and what role data...

Traditional sets of attributes characterizing shopping centres need to be updated to relate to new specific consumers' needs and choices, to ensure the survival of shopping centres. To this end, this chapter revisits shopping centres’ attributes in the light of consumers' choices of actual...

This chapter provides an overview of technology management to support retailing, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it focuses on the technologies developed and in use before the pandemic, the ones further developed as response to the pandemic, while the final part of the...

In confining the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing was key, with traditional, bricks-and-mortar retailing being shut-down for weeks, and have nearly universally moved into online channels. At the same time, online players have started to operate physical stores. This chapter provides an...

Determining the right number of customers inside a store (i.e. human or customer density) plays a crucial role in retail management strategies. On the one hand, retailers want to maximize the number of visitors they attract in order to optimize returns and profits. On the other hand, ensuring a...

The proper identification of consumers' risk perception, fear and panic behaviour can help managers to limit consumers' irresponsible behaviour, develop safer shopping experiences and attract consumers to physical stores. Indeed, the risk of contagion might result in shopping anxiety and limit...

Crisis can bring out the true nature of people. Also in terms of consumers, this can be for better or for worse. On the one hand, irresponsible consumer behaviours rose, with for example people starting to hoard bulk quantities of toilet paper, rice and flour, which in turn increased scarcity...

This chapter provides an overview of the retail landscape during the pandemic, by showing facts and figures of consumers and Governments' containing measures in Europe. It further provides some guidelines and support for retailers to be more ready to react to the environmental changes, along...