Are Retail Consumers Ready to Return? New Study Says They Feel 'Safer' at Local Stores Than Malls

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Retailers are preparing to reopen their stores. But what if consumer behaviors have drastically changed?

A survey by retail predictive analytics platform First Insight found that only half of consumers feel comfortable returning to stores — and malls and department stores, in particular, were deemed the least safe.

Although men consistently reported being more at ease with returning to stores than women, the numbers for non-essential stores never went higher than 49% for either demographic. Department stores were viewed as safe by 37% of respondents, while visiting malls was supported by only 33% of consumers.

“As retail visits expand past essential places like grocery and drug stores, other retailers, and malls in particular, need to be thinking of ways to inspire a sense of safety for consumers, and it will need to go beyond offering gloves and masks at the door,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight.

Read the Full Article at Footwear News

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