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The pandemic may spell the end of lines at stores, Imogen Wethered, founder and CEO of Qudini, said at a retail roundtable hosted by Insider.

“Retailers are going to have to work harder to implement new processes and digital ways of managing customers,” Wethered said. “For us, hopefully, that means queues will be totally unacceptable, and digital ordering will be everywhere as well as in-store appointments. You’ll be seeing contactless, curbside pick-up as well as virtual appointments.”

Wethered said that retailers were “losing their way” before the pandemic, often focusing on cutting costs instead of serving customers’ needs. However, the pandemic has proved that approach untenable. Safety concerns are now at the forefront of customers’ decision making, and people are also unlikely to give up the conveniences they’ve gained during the pandemic.

One such convenience is the rise of the curbside pickup order. Wethered said she’s heard from retailers who want customers to come back into stores after the pandemic. But that’s not necessarily what customers want.

“Customers are more likely to work with the brand if it offers curbside pickup,” Wethered said.” So is that kind of incremental sale going to …continued .
[Source: Business Insider]