‘As a second lockdown looms, here’s what shielded shoppers would love from retailers’

Since my call for retailers to collaborate in order to feed the shielded, the response and co-operation of retailers and the ingenuity they have shown has been amazing. It is a true testament to the 3 million retail staff who have become an ever-more essential part of the tapestry of our lives.

In England alone, there are more than 2.23 million shielded patients, lots of whom are still at home following medical guidance and that of charities. 

That also excludes local lockdowns and, as the pandemic looks likely to worsen, I thought it would be helpful to share some ideas on how to help look after the shielded, as well as the changing face of retail.

Make sure you can get hold of the government dataset of shielded patients if you provide essential services because that way you can prioritise them quickly, as they can be easily identified from their phone number or email address.

This can be obtained via https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/shielded-patient-list/distribution. It will not only help you prioritise those in need, but it could also save lives. 

“Couriers are the face of your brand, so gain feedback on how they serve your customers”

Remember that some of us have to decontaminate every box or plastic package used, so please don’t overpack. 

And give us a choice of carriers because in some areas there are excellent couriers who are our lifeline. Retailers could maybe work together to consolidate deliveries – as someone who has to use gloves, wipes and sprays for every parcel that comes, believe me, it’s no fun.

Returns can be difficult and some of us can’t leave our homes, so please don’t tell us to go to the Post Office or send someone on our behalf – it doesn’t work.

Some retailers have launched excellent collection services for returns and the couriers are the face of your brand, so gain feedback on how they serve your customers.

While it’s hard to achieve, if we could have the same online grocery delivery person every time it would be great – at least we can have a little social interaction, even if it is through a closed door.

Although it’s lovely to receive emails from retailers, there is a limit. Those who email every day should bear in mind that we should have a choice in how many we receive. Otherwise, we’ll just unsubscribe from all the digital noise.

Offer to send items from stores direct to consumers so as to avoid out-of-stocks.

“The vulnerable and the shielded are constantly being targeted by fraudsters pretending to be retailers”

Work with independent retailers through platforms such as Google Shopping, Facebook and price-comparison sites, allow them to fulfil orders you can’t and share the profits. That way, everyone benefits.

Look at collaborating with ecommerce platform providers such as Magento, Adobe and Shopify as this can help share stock levels, stop price gouging and drive sales for everyone.

The vulnerable and the shielded are constantly being targeted by fraudsters through phone calls, smishing and phishing scams pretending to be retailers, so please protect us by monitoring social media and working with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc to help stop this. Some mutual-aid Facebook groups are targeting the elderly and the vulnerable.

Set up customer panels to test ideas on shielded customers. We’ll give you our feedback for free as we’re not going anywhere. Many of us have money to spend and need that extra bit of support to organise bespoke deliveries and collections. The pandemic has sown the seeds for the future of retail for a new generation.

New carriers and on-demand apps, such as Uber, are offering to collect items for customers, and the Instacart pick-from-store model from the US could also be adopted by some retailers.

The situation is fluid, but retailers in the UK have beaten all the odds. That’s down to the amazing employees across the industry, who have gone to work throughout so that people like me can stay safe.

That’s one reason why UK retail is the most competitive and innovative in the world.

• Michael Lieblich is a retail analyst