In the wake of the news that the first few cases of Omicron Covid-19 variant have, inevitably, been found in India, there has already been a lot of anxiety in people. But one thing is sure that there are a lot of mutations, which may be more contagious than the last variant.  

With this saying, it becomes crucial for retailers to make every effort to take strict preventive measures towards what’s coming in. Retail stores must focus on employee and customer safety, as people have returned to a drastically altered world.

Customers are often concerned about store security and 62% believe that they would like social distancing procedures while shopping. Retailers must take care of these aspects by putting health and store safety first. One of the basic methods for improving store safety is to follow the government set protocols. Here are some preventive measures that retailers can take to prepare themselves for the next variant, Omicron.  

1. Keep track of the staff’s health: This is very crucial. To keep track of staff’s health, set up temperature checks and on-site testing. Ensure that they are fully vaccinated.
2. Daily Store Cleaning: This includes daily deep and thorough cleaning operations as well as the placement of hand sanitizing stations near checkout counters and at the store’s entrance. Businesses must ensure that they have a sufficient supply of cleaning supplies. Cleaning checklists and protocols can be made for the staff to follow.
3. Permit limited people to enter the store: Retail outlets can ensure permitting limited customers inside the store at any given point of time and also ensure that they are fully vaccinated.
4. Follow social distancing: The store must support social distancing, which is one of the best ways to reduce interaction and improve store safety measures. One-way traffic systems, barriers near checkout areas, and signage that emphasizes the significance of social distancing can all serve to reduce risk and increase trust.
5. Working environment: Make sure your employees are working in a safe setting. Protective screens can be installed in your manned checkouts to eliminate the risk of checkout personnel coming in touch with consumers. By increasing disinfection processes, the work environment can be made a safer place.
6. Make some changes for complete security: Retail stores can never be too cautious when it comes to shop security. While the immediate safety of customers and employees is the top priority, protective measures such as improved shift scheduling and increased contactless participation can help stores to prepare for the future.
7. Security Credentials: Use in-store methods to protect your customers at all times, such as enhancing disinfection routines, adding hygiene signage, and so on. Customers and staff can disinfect their hands and any equipment they use with sanitizers before and after.  So, in any place, sanitizers with instructions are more vital to be a part of security.

The new variant Omicron is presenting a unique set of challenges that emphasizes the value of community, cooperation, and retail trust. In these situations, retail stores can always rely on safe practices and precautionary methods towards delivering an excellent and healthy shopping experience.

Latest Trends are always the best friends of marketers. With a wise marketing strategy and optimal trend following, the sales can shoot up with minimal effort. Though, it takes a keen eye and experience to predict marketing trends. But don’t sweat it, we are here to help.

Trends come and go, but some of them can be seen from a mile away. With data from retail market studies and analysis, we created a list of exclusive trends that will shape sales in 2022 and beyond.

Without further ado, let’s jump to the list of three exclusive retail trends to follow in 2022.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The concept of AI is not new but its use in retail marketing has increased dynamically in recent times. The key thing to keep in mind is AI is not limited to online marketing. You can use the latest technology such as augmented reality and virtual reality to create a personalized shopping experience in stores too.

How to apply?

Let’s suppose you own a furniture store, you can use AR via a smartphone to let the buyers see how the furniture will look in their own space. This will ease out the imagination part and make the buying process fun and fast.

Micro-Influencer Marketing

Influencers have been a part of the market for a long time now, as they create an impact on a large audience. A micro-influencer has a modest following of 1K to 100K, considerably less than a typical celebrity, but the key highlight is that they have a hyper-engaged audience. Their followers trust them and are more likely to follow their advice.

The second thing to take note of is videos, which are more popular than any other form of media. Whether we talk about Instagram reels, Facebook live streams, or YouTube shots, short videos are in trend now. So, to reach a bigger audience, go for short videos with creative and quality content.

How to apply?

Let’s suppose you own a jewellery store, you can approach a micro-influencer who makes relevant content. With a team effort, they can create short videos interacting with your jewellery and sharing useful information such as what to wear with what, how to purchase jewellery, etc.

Experiential Retail

In a world full of consumer brands, customers are constantly looking for something unique. That’s where experiential retail jumps in. All you have to do is blend your product qualities and your brand values with an interesting and interactive approach.

How to apply?

Let’s suppose you own an apparel store, you can create different themes for different clothing sections. Let’s take an example of beachwear clothes. This section can come to life with a bit of sand, suitable wallpapers, fans for wind effect, and complimentary drinks. It will make your store a unique spot for apparel shopping, increasing the number of shoppers subsequently.

Now that you know what trends to follow and how to do it, get down to work and skyrocket sales in the upcoming year.

Marketing strategies change over time, but the pandemic has given a whole new direction to them. It has created a brand-new mould in which every business has to fit in to succeed in the upcoming times. 

Till now, the marketing world is mainly driven by creative branding campaigns through multi-channel marketing. But the pandemic has shifted the limelight from the brands to the consumers. It’s more about what value you offer than the product.

With the help of many researchers, studies, and data from all over the world, we have found the three pillars of marketing that will hold the marketing house post-pandemic.

The three pillars of marketing 

Digitalization: Master the digital world

It’s high time to shake hands with the tech world. The slow rise in technology has taken a rapid turn during the pandemic. Now the whole world is online, affecting not only the consumers but also companies working culture. From learning to working, creating to developing, production to marketing, virtuality is the new reality.

Digitalization is not a choice anymore but the need of the hour. Not only branding through every online channel is essential, but you should also be able to build a real connection with your customers virtually. Adapting to advance tech tools, making a strong virtual image, and creating an interactive on-screen experience will surely give you an advantage over your competitors.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you start underestimating the power of real-time consumer experiences. Your new marketing strategy should be a perfect blend of virtual and reality.

Personalization: Know your customers better than anyone else

As digitalization skyrockets, data-driven marketing is touching new heights. Now it’s not only about who visits your website or engages with your content, but it’s also about who can and who will be willing to. You have to find out, what your potential customers need, and what drives them to make the final purchase.

Targeting customers based on their age and gender are all in the past. Creating a personal relationship, a human connection is all that you need right now. You have to start taking notes of their situations, values, purchasing behaviour, etc. Everything from their psychographics to their attitudinal characteristics.

Health and environment: Everything breaks down into health and wellness

The pandemic has been a wake-up call for all to strengthen the roots of their health and environment. Routines such as exercise, healthy eating, and meditation are resurfacing after the pandemic. Believe it or not, this affects every business sector out there, whether they are related to healthcare or not.

As consumers’ concern about their and environmental health increases, they are more drawn in the favour of eco-friendly businesses. The priority shift leads to a massive rise in healthcare and green businesses. Now, every business has to become a health business, which in a way or another enhances their customer’s health.

You don’t have to turn everything upside down rather give a new shape to your approach. Build every marketing strategy on the foundation of these three pillars and you are all set for the new normal.

Waves of happiness spread across all over India when Bhavinaben Patel bagged the silver medal in para table tennis, opening the account for India with her massive win. And this was just the beginning. Tokyo Paralympics 2020

After the incredible performance of Indian Olympians in the 2020 Summer Olympics, it was time for Indian Paralympians to steal the limelight. India was expecting as many as 15 medals in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. But the reality surpassed the expectation when India witnessed the record-breaking score of 19 medals on the overall tally, taking our National Flag high up to the 24th spot.

The sound of our Indian National Anthem became even more prominent when it was played for the 5th time in the Paralympic Games 2020, as we received five gold medals. Complimenting the gold, we got eight silver and six bronze medals too. This year, India had sent its largest-ever contingent of 54 magnificent athletes to Tokyo and they got us the biggest win ever. Our last highest was 4 medals. That’s the reason this victory is five times bigger than the last one.

We bagged 8 medals in athletics, 5 in shooting, 4 in badminton, 1 in archery, and 1 in table tennis. Let’s get familiar with our champions.

• Sumit Antil– Breaking the world record of 66.18m three times, he received the gold medal in Men’s Javelin Throw F64, India’s only gold medal in Athletics.
• Pramod Bhagat– He marked India’s name on the gold medal in the Men’s Singles SL3 sports class in Badminton.
• Krishna Nagar– Another Badminton champion who received the gold medal for India in Men’s Singles SH6 with his remarkable performance.
• Manish Narwal– This shooting star from India got himself the gold medal in P4 - Mixed 50m Pistol SH1.
• Avani Lekhara– She bagged two medals for India in the shooting. A gold medal in R2 - Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 and a bronze medal in R8 - Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1.
• Singhraj Adhana– Another double winner from India in Shooting. He received a silver medal in P4 - Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 and bronze in P1 - Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1.
• Yogesh Kathuniya– He received the silver medal in Men’s Discus Throw - F56 by giving a standing ovation performance from his wheelchair.
• Nishad Kumar– He won the silver medal in his first-ever Paralympics in Men’s High Jump - T47.
• Mariyappan Thangavelu– The Padma Shri and Khel Ratna awardee got the silver medal in Men’s High Jump - T63.
• Praveen Kumar– This youngest Indian Paralympian bagged the silver medal in Men’s High Jump - T64.
• Devendra Jhajharia– He became the first Indian to medal at three different Paralympic Games by winning the silver medal in Men’s Javelin Throw - F46.
• Suhas Yathiraj– Another silver came in Badminton with Suhas’s wonderful performance in Men’s Singles SL4.
• Bhavina Patel– Defeating the world’s top players, she won a silver medal in Women’s Singles - Class 4 in Table Tennis.
• Harvinder Singh– With his bronze medal in Men’s Individual Recurve Open, he became the first archer from India to win a medal at the Paralympics.
• Sharad Kumar– The former world no. 1 won a bronze medal in Men’s High Jump - T63.
• Manoj Sarkar– The current World no.1 Para-badminton player in the SL-3 Classification bagged a bronze medal in the 2020 Paralympics.
• Sundar Singh Gurjar– His performance was beautiful as his name; he received the bronze medal in Men’s Javelin Throw - F46.

Great competition, sporty spirit, and victories, Paralympics was a true celebration. As the Paralympics flame came to rest, Indian Paralympians made their way back home with record-breaking victories to celebrate.

Marketing isn’t only about the brand, but also about its consumers. To run a successful marketing campaign understanding your target audience’s current mood, natural behavior, and need of the hour is a must.

After the current state of the economy, the weather has the second biggest influence on consumer behavior. Only a one-degree rise in temperature can increase the sales by 2% in soft drinks, 24% in air conditioners, 11% in sun care products, and 2.5% in men’s shorts, to name a few. Whereas one-degree drop in temperature can elevate the sales by 2% of Soup, 3% of jackets, 5000 units of lip care, and so on. Popularly known as the ‘Profit of One Degree’, the weather has a huge impact on nearly every industry.

The good news is, you can use real-time weather data to create your next marketing campaign for guaranteed whopping success. There are multiple ways of using weather-based marketing. With these below-mentioned ways, you can take advantage of the ever-changing weather.

1. Traditional Marketing

Run weather-based advertisements on print, television, and place billboards in high-traffic physical locations. For example- “Looks like a great weekend for a hike! + a promotional discount on hiking boots.”

2. Digital Marketing

Create content driven by the daily forecast. You can stream a weather-related video series or send weather-centric promotional emails. Use various social media platforms and search engine marketing to promote your brand and make your audience engage with your content.

3. Event Marketing

Events are not just for holidays. Plan a springtime event on a warm and breezy day offering free drinks and exclusive in-store coupons on your products.

4. Informative Marketing

Use weather forecasts for spreading information as well as brand awareness. For example- “It’s going to be wet, make sure your bag is packed with a raincoat. Buy now!”+ [customized forecast]

5. Persuasive Marketing

We all know weather influences the mood and purchasing behaviour of a potential buyer. Display advertisements reflecting the consumer’s mind frame. For example- “Miserable, isn’t it? Imagine your perfect holiday, Book it now!”

Points to keep in mind when running a weather-based marketing campaign:

• Run weather analytics not only on sales data, but also on campaign data.
• Use all three, past, present, and future weather data for better short-term marketing.
• Use negative advertising on dark and gloomy days. Since bad weather triggers a negative mood.
• Use positive advertising on warm and sunny days. Since exposure to sunlight increases our willingness to spend money and level of consumption.
• Analyse the perfect time to run the advertisements by studying the campaign data. Since the timing of the advertisement plays a crucial role.
• Give limited-time online coupons or free shipping on rainy days and heavy in-store discounts on warm days. Since weather also influences the channel the consumer uses to make the purchase.

And most importantly, you need the right fixtures and furniture in your retail store, because they are an integral part of a brand’s identity and storytelling. Weather-based marketing is not only a big trend but also the need of the hour, and this can be achieved only with the right fixtures and furniture. Whether you want to tell a story about how weather can change your shopping requirement or you want to showcase a new discount story on certain products, you need the perfect blend of the right interiors, fixtures, colors, lights and so much more, along with keeping your weather eye on. Do you Agree to Agree?

Have you ever pondered why certain businesses manage to be in the limelight and steal more attention than others? Constant highlighting of the brand impression is one of the main attributes along with others. What such businesses would be doing at the moment is to find ways to make hay while the sun shines. Retailtainment fixture manufacturers in india

Retailtainment is that silver lining on those dark clouds which can help you make that hay while the sun has begun to shine with the stores slowly beginning to open up now. As the name suggests, it is a combination of retail and entertainment. Founded by an American Sociologist, George Ritzer, retailtainment is the ultimate plan for retailers in the modern world. He defined it as “the use of ambience, right setup in the interiors, emotions, sound and activity to get customers interested in the merchandise.” It is an art to grab your customer’s attention in a public space.

The global pandemic in 2020 affected retailers all around the world as people were more inclined toward online shopping. It is during this post-pandemic time, when retailers can bounce back and take advantage of retailtainment if employed strategically. As people are now heading out for some fresh air, store shopping and more, there are greater chances of  retail stores doing better. But how can you apply it fruitfully? Let’s check it out!

Digital Signage: Advanced marketing has led to the introduction of digital signage that employs the concept of infotainment effectively for grabbing customer’s attention. All it requires is an LCD or LED screen that is easily visible to the masses. The 4K ultra high definition video of your brand or a specific product with attractive bright colours is sure to catch people’s eye, leading them to stop and take a look at the video. 

Type Of Content: Different types of content can be used to fulfil your purpose. Depending on your brand and reputation, you can choose static text, still graphics, floating text, pre-recorded videos, or live-streamed videos to get your audience engaged in the store. For instance, a recent football match video in a sports shop got people hooked onto it and the store ended up selling more merchandise than they expected. 

Target The Senses: The father of retailtainment had said- Use the customer’s senses to attract someone’s attention. Let us understand this better. A store selling a range of products wants its customers to spend as much time there as possible. Targeting their senses can be helpful here like attractive visual display of the items in the store, playing engaging music in the store, playing a video of a new product like perfume. Here, giving a free trial or a sample can be the icing on the cake. Experiencing the product is a step further in selling strategy. 

This is just one aspect of retailtainment. All of this will go null if one does not have a proper setup, the right fixtures to display your products, intriguing interiors or a properly designed shopping space. The visual appearance of your store creates a huge impact on a customer’s mind. Personalized design, high-quality interior solutions, and commercial furniture can help you take the entire look of your store to the next level. The Future of Retail Market in the Covid-19 World

Iron Man is to the Avengers, what Retailtainment is to retailers. Offline shopping is back in trend. The long forced imprisonment indoors due to the pandemic has made people crave to go out, try dresses and accessories, feel products and engage with people rather than idling on the sofa and ordering online. It’s time to get the business going with refurbished interiors, digital signage, and innovative content for marketing.

Be Futuristic, Engage Retailtainment.

It has been more than a year that working online from home has been the norm for adults and children. After remaining shut in the houses for more than a year, it’s time to return to the routine again and start living a normal life, but with precautions. School furniture manufacturer in India

Children have been the most affected due to the pandemic, as they were robbed of a year of their school life and fun with peers. With successful vaccination drives, several schools are reopening soon giving a ray of hope for the little ones. Having said that, the situation is still risky which makes it important for schools and educational institutions to take precautionary measures against the deadly coronavirus.

Let’s check out what are the main solutions schools must be prepared for to combat the challenges posed by the current pandemic.

Solutions schools must keep in mind while reopening Post-Pandemic

• Regularly Sanitize the Campus: The first and the foremost step to keep in mind while reopening institutions is to thoroughly sanitize all the classrooms, staff rooms, playground, laboratory, and every other corner. The campus should be sanitized properly before children reach the school to keep the coronavirus at bay. This will ensure that the campus is ready for students and teachers to return without fear

• Install Important Equipment: Though the school premises have been always providing a safe and sanitized environment to students, it is now imperative to ensure a virus free environment. Thus, it is of primary importance to install equipment for alcohol-based sanitisers at various stations in the campus for the safety of each and every person present in the school.

• Thermal Scanning: It is the responsibility of the schools to keep the virus at an arm’s length for which they now have to install thermal scanning systems on the premises. All teachers, students, and workers will have to go through thermal scanning while entering the building to diagnose, if anyone may have feverish symptoms.

• Social Distancing, Masks & Gloves: After keeping everything in check, school organizations will also have to enforce social distancing, wearing of masks and washing of hands periodically among other safety measures. This will stop the transfer of the disease from the infected person to another and curb it then and there.

• Enough Ventilation: Ventilation plays a crucial role in protecting people from the virus as it increases outdoor airflow and reduces the potential concentration of virus particles in the air. School organizations have to make sure that the ventilation systems are timely serviced and working properly.

• Placement of Furniture in class: Reorganising furniture to facilitate distancing is a priority in classrooms. This may involve changing two-seaters to single-seaters. Schools may also look at changing the seating formation in a room.

With schools and other education institutes reopening soon, it is essential to keep everything in check and maintain a healthy environment to offer a safe and sound place for children to learn and prosper. These organizations have to follow the mandatory regulations and stay updated with the new rules to keep everyone’s health on priority.

For ages, classrooms have only focused on providing knowledge to students. Educational boards and institutions keep upgrading their pedagogy and curriculum to match the new standards of Education. In this process, the topic of the physical comfort of students often takes a backseat. Students spend about 9 hours in school out of which they usually sit for 7-8 hours at their desk, which may not be manufactured for their optimal comfort. Here comes the role of classroom furniture ergonomics.

Let us know what it is and how crucial it is for students.

What is Classroom Ergonomics?

A single type of classroom furniture is not suitable for every student due to their height and body variation. However, several classrooms include conventional wooden desks and chairs that are not appropriate for the student’s body structure. Despite belonging to the same age group, the physical growth of students varies from each other. Therefore, ergonomic furniture is a must to keep the physical health of students in consideration.

Ergonomic furniture in classrooms eliminates physical hindrances, improves body posture, and allows enough movement in order to offer a comfortable sitting environment. Factors like seating arrangement and design of desks and chairs form a crucial part, while discussing classroom ergonomics, as they directly contribute to the performance of the students. Still, schools have not been able to adopt it fully.

Why is it neglected?

The reason behind the neglect of ergonomic furniture can be its durability and price. Several schools opt for durable and less expensive furniture, as children are not always careful with them. Having said that, some schools have made grass root movements to reform the classroom setup.

Blending Curriculum and Ergonomics

Along with ergonomic furniture, it is extremely important to consider the curriculum as well. As the latest classrooms have active learning environments, it is vital to upgrade the furniture accordingly. Portable furniture, that can be moved, stacked, arranged, and stored easily, is highly useful in this scenario. Some of the benefits include:

• Developing better oral communication, leadership skills, and higher-level thinking.
• Gaining confidence in different areas by giving exposure.
• Create new ideas and solutions to problems and increase individual as well as group achievement.

Classroom furniture plays a vital role in the performance of a student. This is why schools are constantly investing in the latest furniture for a brighter future for their children. It is extremely important to think beyond the conventional classroom design to create an ideal learning space for the future generation. As learning is evolving from the ‘sit still and listen’ teaching style, the adoption of ergonomic classroom furniture is also witnessing significant growth.