Repair and Run at 363 Queen West - Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Some of the people behind the founding and success of Mobile Klinik, the Canadian chain of smartphone and tablet repair shops, have launched a new business in downtown Toronto for bike, e-bike and scooter repairs.
Repair and Run, with its first location at 363 Queen Street West, has plans to eventually expand the concept to many more locations.
Youssef Botros, VP of Business Development, said the new company is trying to follow the same road map that Mobile Klinik used to become such a national success.
“Repair & Run was actually first started in France about five years ago. The mobile bicycle repair business since then has grown into a network of brick and mortar stores within France. The Canadian branch just started. It’s been in the works for a little while,” said Botros.
“Ken Campbell, my partner, approached me while I was at Mobile Klinik, and said ‘hey we really like the work that you did at Mobile Klinik and we were wondering if you wanted to join this company’. I’m an avid cyclist myself. It’s one of the things I enjoy most. Some people have yoga or the gym. This is my way to disconnect. I love to explore new places.”
Repair and Run on Queen Street – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
“It’s not really about how fast I’m going or my heart rate. It’s just being outside. Being active. Seeing new places.”
Botros spent six years with Mobile Klinik. As Mobile Klinik’s first employee, he comes to the new venture with a wealth of experience and knowledge in building a national retail repair brand and supported Mobile Klinik’s expansion through to its acquisition by TELUS, by leading the Training and Development and developing key relationships and programs that are still in operation today.
Ken Campbell
Campbell is an experienced executive and entrepreneur. He was a co-founder of Mobile Klinik. He served as founding CEO of WIND Mobile (now Freedom) and was CEO of telecom operators in North Africa and Europe.
“With the first store, we want to make sure we can prove the concept and survive through the off-season by maybe doing a couple of other things on top of bike repair,” said Botros. “But we’re planning to be here for a long time and opening up about 50 locations in the next five years.
“That’s not anything new to me. We’ve done 90 something or so in the last five years with Mobile Klinik.
Repair and Run on Queen Street – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
“At the very core, we are very repair focused. We do professional bike, e-bike and e-scooter repairs. We’re very aware of the e-mobility trend that is booming right now. Our business model is a little bit different than a lot of the bike shops you would probably see around. Rather than having 70 per cent of our sales dedicated to bike sales and things of that nature, we actually have the inverse repair business model. Most of our shop floor is dedicated to repairs. We’ve got repair stations set up. In this particular location, we actually have double the space because we have a basement where we’re going to be putting in more technician stations as well to be able to turn around bikes and e-bikes and e-scooters within a fairly good amount of time. Most of the repairs that we do are same-day or within 24 hours.”
Botros said some repairs may take a little bit longer depending on what parts are needed to be replaced.
He said the on-going pandemic has been a major driving factor in the growth in popularity for bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.
“And fuelled by the fact that e-bikes are becoming so popular, people who are not generally into cycling are getting more interested in it. And even older people. People who may have knee problems or other health problems or feel like they can’t cycle on a regular bike so easily. E-bikes and e-scooters and all of the e-mobility type devices are making things so much easier for people, encouraging people to get out there and to start using it for commutes for example. We have a really big population that are food delivery couriers and almost all of them have e-bikes,” said Botros.
“It’s overwhelmingly positive feedback I would say from all of the people that have e-bikes. It makes them feel like a kid again and makes biking a lot more enjoyable.”
In Ontario, where the third wave was particularly devastating for working-class and racialized people, advocates pointed out that while many workers from these communities were disproportionately deemed “essential,” they were also the least likely to be able to access paid sick leave benefits.
As we hopefully near the end of the pandemic and collectively consider how to transform the workplace in ways that are safer, more equitable and humane, it’s important that the voices and experiences of essential workers are heard.
While media coverage has been crucial in fuelling public discussions about the workplace, our research shows that there’s a disconnect between the way media covered work issues during the pandemic and the stories workers felt were important for the public to understand.
Survey of workers
During the first wave of the pandemic, our research team conducted a survey of three groups of essential workers in Nova Scotia — long-term care workers, retail workers and teachers.
Our survey focused primarily on how working conditions had an impact on their health and well-being, but because essential workers were receiving more media attention, we also asked participants to reflect on how the media covered their occupations.
We asked survey participants if the media focused on the most important issues of their work, and 69 per cent of participants responded “no” versus 31 per cent who said “yes.” Broken down by group, retail workers were the most likely to say that the media was not covering the most important issues (75 per cent) followed by teachers (70 per cent) and long-term care workers (58 per cent).
Breakdown by sector of those who responded ‘No’ to the question: Did the media focus on the most important issue of your work? Author provided, Author provided
When asked to describe how they felt about media coverage of their work, some participants expressed gratitude. One long-term care worker told us:
“I think some of the coverage has been good and it has brought to light the ‘gaps’ in the system and how some of the most vulnerable people in society are treated and prioritized.”
However, about half of the open-ended responses stated that coverage was incomplete, one-sided or that the tone became more critical over time. For example, some long-term care workers felt that coverage focused disproportionately on residents, ignoring workers:
“They have focused on the impact to residents but have not talked about the tremendous work the staff did in LTC facilities in NS to keep everyone safe. The staff were viewed as the carriers [of COVID-19] and would be blamed publicly if an outbreak occurred.”
Retail workers, teachers
Retail workers noted that media coverage was largely silent on what some saw as unnecessary risks to their health. According to one participant:
“They show us as these lifesavers and glamourize us when in reality, we’re risking our health and safety so Karen can buy Doritos and ice cream at 10 p.m.”
Teachers noted that they were often portrayed as complaining, whining or lazy, especially when they expressed concerns about working conditions. As one teacher commented:
“It has been interesting to see praises sung as the extent of our jobs was discussed, and then to be referred to in a negative light as we look for clarification of safety measures for returning to school.”
Our participants’ frustrations with media coverage of their work during the first wave of the pandemic underscore the importance of intentionally including workers’ experiences in public dialogue about the economy and public policy.
After all, workers’ lived experiences are not interchangeable with broader questions about business and the labour market, nor can we understand workers’ experiences through a near exclusive focus on policy. Ignoring workers’ experiences leads to missed opportunities for understanding how policy and working conditions can improve.
While economists rejected that connection, worker-centred media coverage provided important insight into why workers were turning away from food services.
In post-pandemic Canada, media will also play a crucial role in shaping public understanding of labour conditions. If we’re committed to creating a future of work that is safe and equitable, workers themselves must be a central voice in the stories that media tell.
Special Edition 34: David Goldman on Boys'Co's Final Chapter
This week, Craig and David discuss the 75 year fashion legacy of family-owned Murray Goldman, including the 37 year run of iconic Vancouver-based menswear retailer Boys’Co which will shut down at the end of this year. Despite the sad news, it’s a positive conversation with a lot of history and gratitude.
The Weekly podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Toronto Eaton Centre Closed - Photo by Dustin Fuhs
While Ontario gears up for the first step of its reopening on Friday, many retailers and small business owners across the province are angered and frustrated that they are still left on the sidelines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The level of anger and despair we’re hearing from business owners is alarming. They are watching their life’s work crumble due to the province’s inaction. The Ontario government needs to let more businesses reopen more quickly, so they can catch up to their counterparts in the rest of the country,” said Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Dan Kelly
“Ontario businesses are incredibly frustrated as they have had little or no opportunity to make sales, while the rest of the country is reopening much faster. At this rate, many provinces will be back to normal business operations before Ontarians can even get a haircut. We need to pick up the pace now, or many businesses won’t even make it to reopening.”
Gyms, hair salons, barbers, stores located in malls without a street-facing entrance and many others will remain closed in Ontario despite the launch of the province’s reopening plan on Friday.
According to the CFIB, only 44 per cent of small business owners in Ontario say they are currently fully open and 66 per cent say the province is too slow in reopening.
Essential Shopping only at CF Toronto Eaton Centre – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
“At Over the Rainbow, during all our open periods, health and safety was our number one priority. As a result, there were no reported cases coming from our retail environment. Despite our best efforts, Ontario continues to be the most locked down retail environment in all of North America since the beginning of this pandemic,” said Daniel Carman, Vice President of the company. “Small businesses know what they have to do to protect their customers and their staff. All we need are the proper protocols.
“Our government is not interested in doing the heavy lifting. They refuse to regulate, monitor and hold irresponsible retailers accountable for their actions. The government has instead rolled out blanket restrictions that are arbitrary and unfair to small businesses inside of shopping centres. We should be given an even playing field instead of having to remain closed for at least another 21 days. Why are small businesses in malls being punished because of one social media clip? The government needs to do better than this.
Daniel Carman
“Over the Rainbow has been in business serving our community for 46 years. It’s an insult that this government believes they can still treat responsible business owners like this by shutting us down on and off for the past 16 months. In all this time, we’ve searched everywhere for sound reasons and understanding for why small businesses must sacrifice. To this day, we’ve received no answers or explanations.”
In a public statement, the Retail Council of Canada implored the Ontario government to allow all retail to open at the same time – including those within malls.
“Ontario has endured the longest lockdown in the world. Our members have absorbed unbearable financial, emotional stress, job losses and business closures, all without improving health outcomes. There is no medical evidence to support the continued lockdown of businesses. In fact, the government’s own data shows that in-store COVID-19 transmissions are almost non-existent. Despite this, new job numbers released last week by Statistics Canada show that Ontario has now lost 85,500 retail jobs in Ontario since pre-pandemic levels – 32,300 of these are from May 2021 alone,” said the organization.
“Ontario’s health trends are encouraging and we are ahead of what was forecasted when Ontario’s three-step plan was introduced. Positivity rates are the lowest they’ve been in nine months, vaccination rates are high and hospital ICU numbers are steadily falling. And yet, too many of our retailers will remain in lockdown on June 11 when Ontario moves into Stage 1. Jurisdictions across all of North America , as well as around the world, have shown that stores can reopen safely and responsibly.
“We strongly encourage the Ontario government to let all retailers reopen on June 11 at reduced capacities, including those within malls. Retailers have had no choice but to swiftly rewrite their plans throughout the past year and we are now asking the government to do the same.”
Ryan Mallough
Ryan Mallough, Director of Provincial Affairs for Ontario for the CFIB, said it is certainly good to see that the province is finally getting the ball rolling on the reopening.
“It’s been a very long time here and certainly for restaurants with patios and retailers who have been shut down for a great length of time since April 8 provincewide, it is good news. And it’s good to see that we’re on the path of reopening,” he said.
“But on the flip side of it, it’s been immensely frustrating for all of the other businesses in particular hair salons, fitness studios, dance studios, gyms, who are not only still closed but remain closed for another three to six weeks depending on the sector while watching every other province, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, get to reopen those sectors if not already over the next days as they head toward the second stage of their reopening.”
The CFIB is urging the Ontario government to:
Add hair salons, barbers and other personal care services to the reopening list for this Friday;
Add some capacity for gyms, fitness, and dance studios this weekend;
Add limited capacity this Friday for indoor dining as is in place in most provinces;
Immediately provide retailers in malls with no street-facing entrance with an option for in-person sales;
Shorten the three-week interval between further rounds of reopening and bring in a new, faster plan that is more in line with other provinces;
Immediately add a third round of Ontario Small Business Support Grant funding to help those facing ongoing restrictions as they reopen; and
Resurrect the PPE grant at a greater amount to help businesses with the potentially high cost of safe reopening.
Training Lane at 487 King Street E – Photo by Dustin Fuhs
Mallough said only 35 per cent of Ontario businesses are fully staffed (last in the country) and only 27 per cent of businesses are at normal revenue levels.
“The province is very much lagging (other provinces) and it is very much noticed by the small business community. When the Ontario government is making decisions, it’s kind of looking at Ontario as a silo. I can tell you Ontario business owners are very much looking at the rest of the country and are going ‘you can get a haircut in Alberta today, you’re going to have to wait another three weeks minimum to get one in Ontario’. Looking at the conversations at the federal level, it’s possible the (US) border will be open again before you can get a haircut in Ontario, which is kind of ridiculous,” added Mallough.
Details of Ontario’s reopening on Friday can be found here.
We’re almost there. Though the process has seemed slow and somewhat cumbersome, the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is now well underway in every province and territory across Canada. Successful administering of its multiple types in numerous clinics throughout the country is allowing communities everywhere to move collectively and consistently toward our goal of reaching herd immunity. In conjunction with steadily decreasing cases reported, it means that we’re that much closer to a return to normalcy, or something like it, anyway. We’ll once again soon be able to gather, assemble and attend events; to enjoy interaction and engagement with our neighbours and communities at large. And, after such a turbulent and uncertain time, it also means that retailers will be able to start reopening their physical spaces to their customers, welcoming them back to the in-store environment that makes the industry so dynamic and exciting. However, according to Suzanne Sears, President of Luxury Careers Canada and retail staffing expert, it seems increasingly likely that their efforts to do so will be stunted in the midst of what she describes as a retail staffing crisis.
Suzanne Sears
“What retailers are going to be facing when they reopen their physical storefronts is the fact that at least 20 to 25 percent of the retail workforce is not going to come back in time to help create a great in-store environment and support the operation in general,” she says. “And, most importantly, they’re not going to return in time to save the fiscal year for most retailers. If you couldn’t sell much of anything between January and June, you’ve really got to hustle now to make up for those lost dollars. And you can’t do it if you don’t have people. I’m seeing it on a daily basis. Requests are coming in for staff from companies and locations that have never experienced a problem in this area before. In Montreal, for example, there are hundreds of vacancies within organizations. The idea of reopening and restarting is to generate income. And you can’t do that without people.”
Retail talent shortage
Recent Statistics Canada data highlights the issue, reporting that the Canadian economy lost 68,000 more jobs during the month of May, bringing the total of jobs lost since the start of the pandemic to 571,000. Given the fact that retail is by far the largest employment sector in the country, the impact of these lost jobs on the industry starts to become obvious for many. But what isn’t so evident to the casual observer, explains Sears, is the scale and magnitude of the impact, which she believes will show up primarily in a loss of sales and productivity for any retailer struggling with the challenge of filling roles within their organizations, which will be exacerbated by something of a multiplier effect.
“When you’re missing staff, you’re missing out on revenue equal to four-times their salary in the sales and products and services they deliver for the company,” she explains. “So, if you’re paying someone $50,000 a year and that position becomes vacant, you’re actually losing out on about $200,000 because of the vacancy. When you multiply that by dozens or hundreds of missing people, organizations will be losing money simply because of a shortage of talent. Some of that comes from lost sales because there isn’t anyone there to sell to the customer. Some of it comes from lost efficiencies in things like the supply chain. And some of it comes from overburdening existing staff who, because another position is unfilled, have to do two jobs at the same time, decreasing their efficiencies. Vacancies hurt organizations. And when the vacancies are this pronounced and widespread, they have the potential to hurt the entire industry.”
Multitude of factors
Sears is quick to point out the fact that vacancies had already been an issue for many retailers prior to the pandemic when fully ten percent of roles within organizations were unfilled. However, events of the past 16 months or so have resulted in a multitude of factors that are each contributing significantly toward the current talent shortage. Impacts of the pandemic have precipitated in many heightened concerns over safety, leading to an exodus from major urban centres and an unwillingness in those living outside of cities to commute for work. In addition, due to a halt on immigration to the country, the number of new Canadians, who fill a sizeable percentage of retail roles, both frontline and support, have decreased year-over-year, falling substantially short of Canada’s immigration targets. And students enrolled in post-secondary institutions have left their campuses, returning home and leaving the supporting part-time roles that they filled.
“All of these factors have combined to create a worrisome population gap for retail in many cities across the country,” she says. “The problem is most challenging in Montreal, Toronto, British Columbia and Manitoba. There just aren’t enough people willing to re-enter the workforce to fill the vacancies left by impacts of the pandemic. But, what’s perhaps even more troubling, posing potentially severe consequences, is the fact that women have been exiting the labour market at an alarming rate. Without full-time schooling and childcare services, many are unwilling or unable to return to work.”
Stability and security
Further Statistics Canada data indicates that more than 20,000 women exited the Canadian labour force between February and October 2020, representing the majority of jobs lost (55%) within the retail, accommodation and food services industries during that time period. Any of the factors lending to the crisis on their own would be cause for concern, says Sears, but cumulatively they are reflective of one of the greatest staffing challenges that Canadian retail has ever experienced. Add to the list some of the fundamental deficiencies within the offering of retail employment, and the challenge becomes even greater.
“The scope of benefits and incentives that retailers offer in order to attract people to the industry has got to improve,” she asserts. “Wages have got to increase and more paid sick leave, among other things, need to be afforded. But, more than anything, retailers need to offer a guaranteed number of hours to work. It’s the number one complaint among prospective employees – the fact that most within retail work a random schedule of hours that’s different every week. It leads to a perspective of retail as an unstable career and not something that’s desirable enough to be involved in. Providing consistency and security will be critical in retailers’ efforts to attract the right talent to their stores.”
Providing a healthy and safe environment
In addition to ensuring the financial stability that job seekers require, allowing them to meet their own budgets and pay for things like childcare, groceries, rent and other necessities, Sears believes that retailers must also provide the security of a safe and healthy environment to work within. Without having achieved vaccine herd immunity, many are not currently comfortable enough returning to the retail workplace. However, going forward, the retail staffing expert offers a way by which retailers can safeguard their physical locations and establish a safe setting.
“Retailers are going to need to demonstrate to prospective employees, in a tangible way, that showing up for work is not going to jeopardize their health or their lives,” she exclaims. “To do this, they’re going to need to implement significant measures in order to offset risk. As a result, employing a fully vaccinated staff is going to be crucial. It’s the issue that retailers are going to be confronted with tomorrow and into the foreseeable future. In order to do this, many will consider making ‘proof of vaccination’ as a term of employment within their organizations. I absolutely believe that this will gain traction within the industry very quickly and will become the way of the modern workforce. It’s really the only way by which retailers or any other business can ensure the health and safety of their employees and customers.”
Innovation and reinvention
As retailers in communities and cities across the country continue their preparations to reopen their operations to the public and reintroduce their offering, the need for many to fill the roles required to execute on their anticipated return is becoming increasingly dire. Sears recognizes the seriousness of the situation, describing the current staffing shortage as a pivotal moment in the near- and long-term future of retail in Canada. She adds that it could serve as a catalyst for real change within the industry, perhaps sparking a bit of much needed creativity in order to attract and retain the best of the best and ensure the continued growth and success of their businesses.
“Most of the jobs that have been lost during the pandemic are supporting part-time jobs. To start refilling these positions, retailers are going to need to invest into modernizing them with more flexible terms and conditions. They’re going to need to innovate and reinvent retail as a viable career again, offering clear paths to opportunity, success and promotion within the company that are easily documented and observable. As part of this, they’re going to need to offer training for their employees and teach them more, which almost always results in heightened engagement and productivity. There are a lot of changes that need to be made within the industry to meet the current challenges. The changes that are required need to come from leadership in order to empower human resources and the rest of the organization. And it needs to happen sooner rather than later, because they’re already fighting the battle from behind.”
For retail staffing support, contact Suzanne Sears, President, Best Retail Careers International Incorporated, by email: info@brcareers.com or phone: 289.795.6150, or visit https://brcareers.com/
This week, Craig and Lee talk about Craig’s analysis on The Hudson’s Bay Company’s potential redevelopment plans for its flagship locations in Canadian downtowns. Is it a good strategy or missed opportunity?
The Weekly podcast by Retail Insider Canada is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Drop us a line at Craig@Retail-Insider.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The panel of experts will discuss how smart security systems and automation tools can help businesses drive value across the entire organization while arming HR, marketing and operations teams with valuable data insights that they need to navigate the tectonic shifts being seen over the course of the pandemic. You’ll learn how to:
Create ‘wow’ shopping experiences for your guests and embrace new trends such as curbside pickup
Proactively detect threats, minimize inventory loss and streamline business operations
Run more secure, efficient and profitable storefronts
As retailers reopen and gain capacity following lockdowns, theft and other security incidents are on the rise and need to be addressed. Technology now can also do much more. Join us next Wednesday for the free event by registering here.
*Retail Insider partnered with TELUS for this event. For more information, email: craig@retail-insider.com.
Montreal-based footwear brand Aldo is piloting livestream shopping as the company innovates amid a rapidly changing retail world. This spring the brand tested the concept with considerable success and it is now strategizing a larger rollout in various markets.
For the livestream shopping pilot, Aldo partnered with celebrity stylist Mimi Cuttrell and Los Angeles-based entertainer Nate Wyatt to host the event. The duo shared their style-tips on how to wear various styles of Aldo shoes and accessories, and viewers were able to shop the spring 2021 collection instantly in stream during the show.
The spring 2021 livestream shopping pilot was said to be a success. The Aldo website saw about 17,000 page views in the first five days after the event with an average viewing time of 12 minutes and six seconds. A 308% engagement rate including likes, hearts and comments were registered. Aldo will apply key learnings from its pilot as it looks to further test the waters this year with more online live shopping events.
Aldo says that there are ways to extend the shelf life of the experience and have it live on via the website and social channels even after the livestream has ended. Views and conversations continue to be present even two weeks after the actual event. Third party platform Bambuser, which was utilized for the Aldo livestream shopping event, noted that on average 75%-80% of sales and views happen post-live in the few weeks following a livestream event.
Amanda Amar
For future livestream shopping events, Aldo is looking to experiment with different formats and collection launches, as well as elements such as advanced viewing of collections for participants. The idea of livestream shopping is new to the North American market which means there’s room for some experimentation, according to Amanda Amar, Director of Global Social Media and PR . Ultimately the goal of Aldo’s livestream shopping initiative is to create engaging shopping moments while embracing new digital innovation.
Livestream shopping is hugely popular in Asia and now expanding into North America. Some are saying that it’s the ‘next big thing’ and that consumers will begin demanding as the experience grows in popularity. Overseas, livestream shopping takes place online through websites, social media and apps.
Aldo is embracing innovation to gain market share at a challenging time for the retail industry, as well as for the retailer. The pandemic has impacted consumer spending on fashion significantly in Canada, and Aldo itself filed for creditor protection last year after accumulating significant debt. The company has since been closing underperforming stores in Canada and the United States and is now looking to the future which includes a hybrid of physical and digital retail channels.
Retail Insider is putting together a panel of experts to comment on trends that we are seeing in Canadian retailing. Below are comments from some noted experts.
Retail Panelist Discussion
George Minakakis
Welcome to the future of retailing, one continuous giant experiment. Is livestreaming another disruptive component in retail? We have to keep in mind that China moved a lot faster on e-commerce and livestreaming because they did two things. First, they skipped a lot of technological learning curves and jumped right into mobile phones, bypassing the infrastructure pain and limitations of landlines. According to iresearch.cn in 2019 mobile transactions were approximately 85% Chinese consumer purchases.
Chinese consumers are protective of their free time from work, looking for greater convenience, and are very health conscious. I am not surprised at livestreaming being popular, couple that with the pandemic suddenly 30% of the population is watching. But there is an art to this. A colourful host/influencer, product that is attractive and in short supply on the product that creates a sense of urgency, as a must have in your wardrobe or in your home. There is a lot of production planning, creativity, execution, and the ability to respond to live requests. It must be engaging and entertaining or your platform can lose interest fast. Retailing in China continues its evolution as it did when I led and built a 200-store chain there.
Retailers continue to be at the digital/physical crossroads as they look for more engaging ways to attract consumers to their proposition beyond their store and website, especially during the lockdowns. Social channels, including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook continue to be a strong source to attract consumers and their orders during this period, however, “more live” aspects, as facilitated via apps like TikTok have really caught consumers’ interest. Livestreaming is a natural progression of this, especially with its high adoption in China, where we tend to look for what’s coming down the digital wire to North America.
Linking livestream and the appropriate influencers looks like a winning formula for retailers, especially in apparel, fashion and luxury who have been placed in and out of lockdown restrictions many times over the last fifteen months. The success of this event should be a signal to other market participants within these categories and beyond, continuous innovation is required to keep top of mind for consumers. The key now, beyond the promise of value, is to make sure consumer orders are fulfilled with the delivery options and convenience they expect.
Gary Newbury is a GTA based Senior Exec On Call at RetailAID, focused on helping consumer driven supply chains to be agile, be innovative and be digital through supply chain transformation. Gary is a Co-Host on The Business of Retail podcast.
David Ian Gray
“It has great potential and makes a lot of sense for the right brands and shopper situations. However, there are cautions. The first adopters in their categories will create lots of buzz. I have no doubt it will generate sales if executed decently. However, once every brand is doing it, it will quickly overwhelm shoppers and not be special anymore. Just like apps. Consumers only use about 5-6 third-party apps on their phones. Yet how many businesses say, ‘we need to create an app’? At that point, it will be the ones who are strategic and purposeful with why they are doing it and how it bridges customer and business needs. Just bolting it on as a sales tactic won’t meet exec expectations long run without purpose and support.”
I believe strongly in the value and benefits of livestreaming in reaching consumers. About 80% of people are more likely to watch a video versus reading a blog. The massive increase in the amount of video content consumed, which has led to video and live streaming features from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat etc.
The key benefits of livestreaming as a key tool for retailers as described below:
Accessibility- this allows consumers to get to know and trust a brand before spending money
Larger Audience – this allows brands to engage with people that do not know them. Livestreaming can attract people you did not know and provide them with a “behind the scenes” experience so they can build a stronger connection with your brand
Rise of Smartphones and Unlimited Data — as virtually everyone has a smartphone, allowing people to watch livestreams any time and any place
Improved ROI—livestreaming is interactive which both draws more viewers and is viewed as much as three times longer than a standard video
Build Relationships with your consumers, giving your brand a personality, a face and voice which can translate into increased credibility and trust.
Working with Influencers more effectively to become your brand ambassador and host the livestream to keep the audience tuned in and draw more eyes & clicks to your brand.
Farla Efros is President of HRC Retail Advisory, a leading retail consulting firm focused on enhancing retail profitability.
Bruce Winder
“I have read a great deal about live streaming events in Asia and the US and think it is a great example of how a Canadian retailer can innovate. Bravo!
We have all witnessed the growth of e-commerce during the pandemic and it is safe to assume a great deal of it will continue on after this nightmare ends. The livestreaming medium also offers the potential for tremendous excitement and capitalizes on impulse sales through mobile technology. The event helps customers engage with the brand and telegraphs that something is different about Aldo as they look to reinvent themselves.
I think we are going to see an explosion of sales in fashion as customers have, for the most part, been confined to their dwellings for the last year plus – wearing track pants, sweatshirts and slippers. It sounds like a cliché but I anticipate a roaring twenties-esque social scene for at least a year after we open up our economy. People will be buying fashion like never before and making up for lost time to live their best lives.”
Retail Insider is welcoming experts to comment on future trend stories as we develop this concept. To contact Retail Insider’s Editor-in-Chief Craig Patterson, email: craig@retail-insider.com
