RETAIL AND FASHION IN THE POSTPANDEMIC WORLD

BY MICHAEL AND MATT DURU

Retailers were struggling even before they were forced to shut down for over three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those retailers now look to open their doors, but new challenges have come to the surface in this “new normal.” As we emerge from the liminal space of nationwide lockdowns into new psychological and social territory, shoppers will be anxious about visiting stores and increasing their exposure to the virus.

Walking around essential businesses today, you see many makeshift efforts to reduce contact and limit crowds, i.e. dividing tape on floors, plexiglass shields, and hastily written signs on printer paper. These methods are cheap and easy, but they do little to lessen fear and manage the psychological state of consumers. To ease concerns and actually survive, retailers outside of the essential category need to think of their store as a service a performance where “front of house” is serene, while “back of house” supports the complex maneuvers. Retailers almost have to put on a show for their customers. At the end of the day, if your customer doesn’t feel safe, they will not return.

While these times have been challenging, many retailers and restaurants have also had “Ah-ha!” moments that will help them permanently improve the performance of their businesses. We need to be more disciplined all of the time and focus on good leadership by communicating with staff and customers.

We at Michael Duru Clothiers are no exception and have also been changed. Our “Ah-ha!” moment was realizing what we should have done with our digital footprint. We used this time to develop our online platform, www.duruessentials.com, which features our masks and towels, and www.shopduru.com, featuring some of the products we carry in store. It was something we knew we had to do, and luckily we were in the process when this happened. All successful retailers are online today, and that is where the consumer is now shopping more than ever. It only made sense we follow this trend and get in front of our customers and be accessible 24/7 to them.

As for wearing masks, it looks like this too will be a necessity for the rest of the year (or even longer). We have built a section of our store dedicated to our custom-made masks. Our bestselling item is our mask that converts to a pocket square the perfect blend of fashion and protection. You can find our selection of pocket square masks at www.pocketsquaremask.com.

The silver lining? A new appreciation for family, outdoor space, and fresh air, and as for retailers, perhaps less competition. This means you will have a much larger market share of a smaller market. So buckle up, the great unknown lies ahead.

Michael Duru Clothiers
801 Broad Street, Shrewsbury 732.741.1999 /
michaelduru.com