This could prove catastrophic for America's already teetering shopping malls and "bricks and mortar" retailers. According to a new study by retail analytics company First Insights conducted on April 20, only one-third of American adults surveyed said that they will feel safe shopping in a mall after stores reopen. More respondents said they’ll feel safe shopping in grocery, drug and big-box stores like Target and Walmart, outlets which mostly remained open during the outbreak to sell essential goods.
In an act of painful irony, before the Coronavirus pandemic hit, malls - which were already suffering from historic traffic losses, went all in in their attempts to lure shoppers people back and added such "social" elements as amusement parks, movie theaters and upgraded food courts - just the types of crowded places that have became off-limits when social distancing began.
As retailers reopen after mandatory stay-at-home periods, Greg Petro, chief executive officer of First Insight, said in a statement that “malls in particular need to be thinking of ways to inspire a sense of safety for consumers, and it will need to go beyond offering gloves and masks at the door.”
And, as Bloomberg notes, China may show the way again:
As the nation reopened businesses following its quarantines, it’s become standard to check the temperatures of patrons entering shopping destinations. Some stores in China are being cleaned multiple times during the day. And fitting rooms and products that have been tried on are being disinfected after each use -- no more just picking up a sweater and throwing it back on the rack if it’s not the right fit.
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