Across the UK we’ve entered another period of restrictions to our lives and, for many, to their businesses. But, after the first lockdown, there are definitely things we’ve all learned. Speaking to our customers about their previous experiences, the general feeling about the effect of these new restrictions on their businesses and how they will be adapting to them seems a lot more positive than it was in March & April. 

Yes, across much of the UK retailers will not be ‘open as usual’ but you are allowed to book appointments, adopt click & collect services, as well as using pick up/ drop off to people’s homes, as long as the appropriate social distancing, mask-wearing and usual COVID precautions are adhered to.

We’ve collected some of these experiences and added our thoughts on how these can be adapted to the new guidelines – this is not an exhaustive list and there may be things you’ve done/ heard of others doing that have worked (or not). If you have additional suggestions or ideas, please do share them. One of the best ways of doing this, as well as asking/ answering questions from others in the same position as you, is on our private Facebook group, the Target User Group.

General Suggestions for Retailers from 5^th November

- You can open for appointments only

• This is your office, your workplace – you can continue to sell, repair and offer services as long as you do not allow people to browse in your shop. These will have to be done either remotely/online or on an appointment-only basis.
• As long as you follow full social-distancing guidelines with facemasks and existing COVID precautions regarding sanitation and cleanliness you can continue to work.

- You can offer “Click and collect” services from your store. Target offers services that can make this easier for you:

• Flexible Product Feeds – populate your own website with the entire Target catalogue with your own markups and prices.
• Direct Delivery service – rather than having customers collect in-store, registering (for FREE) for our whitelabel Direct Delivery Service is really easy and allows you to have products delivered straight from Target to your customer.

- Promote yourself online

• Enhance your website SEO around lockdown PC services in your local area – make it as easy as possible for people in your area to find you, including listing yourself on Google (follow this link to list your business for free).
• Make sure the services and products you offer as well as your location and additional information is available on Social media – Facebook in particular is heavily used by people, including businesses, looking for services in their local area. Click here to set up your own Facebook Buisiness Page.
• Facebook offers a calendar system so customers/ you can book appointments from your Facebook page – click hereto see how.
• Consider listing products on online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and, more recently, Facebook Shops.

Signage

- As ‘essential’ shops and services will remain open, the likeliness is that people will still be walking past your shop. Rather than appearing to be closed, make sure that ‘walk-in’ trade knows you’re still offering products and services, albeit in a different way.

- Make sure

• signage/ posters are prominent in windows, on A-boards and online
• it is obvious the signage is current e.g. “LOCKDOWN UPDATE NOVEMBER 2020”
• the messaging is clear e.g. “We are open on an appointment-only basis throughout lockdown”
• there is a clear call to action e.g. “To book an appointment
  • Call …
  • Visit our website at …
  • Contact us on Facebook/ Instagram…
  • Fill in our online form at…”
• you target key services / offers / messages e.g.
  • “PC / laptop repairs”
  • “Enhance your home office with XYZ from only £X”
  • “Virus removal / protection from only £X

- Use multiple signs for different messages rather than trying to get too much information over in one go. Separate, short messages stand out better.

- Deliveries – make sure signage covers deliveries and click & collect, e.g. press buzzer / phone this number for attention.

Products / Services

- Focus on the products and services that matter now as more people start to work from home:

• Laptops
• PCs
• Virus / malware removal, internet security & VPN
• Repairs and upgrades
• Speed enhancement for devices
• Network connectivity
• Back-up products and services
• Webcams and headsets
• Comfort
  • Monitor arms
  • Monitors and dual screens
  • Keyboards, mice etc
•  Custom PCs
• Book appointments with your customers and use the In-Store PC Builder to configure and order custom PCs - save up to 20 different builds. add your own markups and branding, and quote your customers there-and-then.
• Although not normally recommended, you can use the In-Store PC Builder on your own website – once registered, you can link to your unique In-Store PC Builder URL
• Order Custom PCs as ‘parts-only’ – this will save on the standard build cost and you can then build in your own time. Leading into the Christmas period you may also find it quicker as we are already seeing a huge increase in the number of Custom PCs being ordered.