The immediate aftermath of the evil attacks on the capital will involve simply getting businesses back to normal - making sure staff are in place to open stores, many of which closed early yesterday.
There are as yet no reports of any retail staff being among the dead, but given the scale of the death and injury it is almost inevitable there will have been casualties who worked in the sector.
Beyond the immediate horror, difficult times lie ahead. Despite the resilience of Londoners, many shoppers will inevitably stay away from the West End. Oxford Street, Regent Street and Knightsbridge will be much quieter as tourists postpone trips to the capital.
Retailers will have a role to play in the recovery. Stores need to be as welcoming as possible, and the bigger stores in particular, will need to promote all the things that make London a great place to shop and visit.
The tragedy felt all the greater following Wednesday's news that London had won its bid for the 2012 Olympics had lifted the whole city. It may be a long way off, but the Games should bring in hundreds of thousands of extra shoppers, and will be a huge help to the proposed Stratford City retail development.
The early part of the week was full of further signs of weakening consumer confidence. At Asda, 1,400 people will lose their jobs as new president Andy Bond makes his mark, while DIY specialist Focus reported awful figures. Next week, Marks & Spencer is expected to add to the bad news with more poor trading figures.
The troubles of Baugur will also fascinate many in the sector. Chief executive Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson appears to have powerful enemies in Iceland and the fraud charges against him and others have thrown the bidding for Somerfield up in the air.
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