Set on a tranquil marina, it is easy to see why Affinity Lancashire is attracting customers to return for its offering from fashion to furnishings with a bit of that much needed feel-good factor.

“Since the reopening we have achieved 70% of footfall and like-for-like sales growth of 14% which reflects the confidence our customers have in us” says Catherine Holmes, whose approach prioritises the safety and wellbeing of customers and visitors.

Following advice from the government and Public Health England, the team has implemented one-way systems, utilised floor graphics, installed hand sanitising stations and information points, removed seating and closed children’s play areas. “These changes are also reflected in each of our stores across the centre to maintain customer safety throughout their whole journey with us.”

Part of that journey, is a return to the simple but necessary comforts offered at destinations like this. “Our customers are looking for some sort of normality, providing it is safe. Whilst many public bathrooms across the UK remain closed, at Affinity Lancashire we understand our customers often travel some distance to visit us and these facilities are important to them, so we are working to keep them open. Customers can use them while maintaining social distancing and they are cleaned hourly.” 

From the customers, to the team and tenants, Catherine says: “the foundation of any relationship starts with trust.”

“For team members, we take the time to set individual goals which are tailored to their skillset and support them in achieving these through coaching and development, allowing the individuals and the centre to flourish as a result. It’s equally as important to forge relationships with our occupiers from store managers through to regional and head office. As a centre team, we must understand our occupiers, their business model and their objectives to ensure we can help their business grow.”

Analytics help centre teams manage, grow community and map recovery, and long before the pandemic Affinity Lancashire has used Retail Advantage to track sales performance. “At a local level, this helps us make strategic decisions and determines how we operate. The data, for example, is used to review sales performance and densities to compare categories geographically across the centre, allowing for identification of areas which would benefit from additional footfall. This in turn can be utilised to turn these quieter areas into hubs of activity through innovative use of space such as soft play, picnic areas and events. We are now adapting these areas to be COVID Secure to maintain the customer journey and experience as restrictions are lifted.”

So, what advice would Catherine give herself before starting her career in retail?

“Staying team focused is the key to any business success, you need a diverse skill-set to run a retail outlet which needs to work for an entire community. I take pride in what we’ve built at Affinity Lancashire and all the team genuinely want our customers to have the best experience. I like to remind myself that going the extra mile for a customer means different things to different people – whether it’s helping a customer who’s car has broken down or assisting a family who have lost a child’s toy. It is the kind of service which creates a legacy for years to come.”

Catherine Holmes – Centre Manager at Affinity Lancashire

“Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.” – Amby Burfoot

Retail is often a great showcase for effort, even though it has faced more than its fair share of pessimistic news stories. The retail industry has moved to change the rules that defined it for a century, so despite this current severe struggle, it will never give up.

Customers tethered to their tech devices are looking to the finish line too. Even whilst safety remains front of mind, a mix of services that customers have been deprived of, like social shopping in physical places will be possible in the not too distant future. Community tools to provide effective analytics and reporting methods will prove even more important for retail and leisure destinations that want to win and engage customers as well as tenants.

This shared struggle was a lesson in collaboration against outside forces. Winning will require effort and optimism to make safe and enticing environments to stage your comeback. Success will also require accurate data to drive robust operational practices, strong communication and strategy with partners because like you, they are determined not to give up.

Get in touch to discuss the architecture we can help you implement for recovery

As business leaders in retail real estate plan for a new normal, strategy must shift towards reimagining our industry because as digital communication constantly reminds us #WeAreAllInThisTogether. Lessons learnt from our experiences during this crisis should deliver ideas about how to come out of it. We are sharing ways to ramp up resilience along with inspiring insights from people with experience in their field.

“Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson

This financial and humanitarian crisis is unlike anything we have experienced so it will inevitably teach us new lessons. Creating successful retail and leisure destinations is both art and science and maybe the key differentiator after coronavirus will be how destinations utilise this experience.

Companies must get creative to prepare for the future now. This includes safe and enticing environments for reopening, robust operational practices and strong communication and collaboration with strategic partners. The global mood has shifted and consumers and businesses will be looking to act with a heightened sense of purpose. Immediate access to a unified, accurate view of how retail performs through recovery is essential to give teams the analytics they can and must act upon.

Engaging the tenant community will prove even more important and the need for refined data and strategic visibility will only increase as properties change. No business will get through the pandemic alone, so there is a need to share data, learnings and insights. Practices and technologies that are successfully applied during this time could have a profound effect on the industry’s future. A future none of us want to miss.

Get in touch to discuss the architecture we can help you implement for recovery

1. Control more through your smartphone

This is not only the era for the connected customer, we are also able to control more and more of our work through our smartphones.  Do away with multiple spreadsheets that require constant attention from staff. Live and accurate data that can be accessed from your tablet or mobile gives genuine insight on your situation at a glance, allowing you to make fast, informed decisions.

2. Provide views on data designed for different roles across your business  

Our experience shows that businesses benefit by expanding access to data with views tailored to a variety of roles and users.  From summaries that can be understood at a glance, to data views that can be manipulated to extract deeper understanding –   real-time reporting becomes really beneficial when there is versatility in analysis.

3. Tailored real-time communication 

Big data, small data, internal, external, observational – information comes in many ways.  The best intelligence tools translate data into insights that suit your needs at the time of access. Our management platform Retail Advantage not only collects and verifies data, it provides a toolset for communication that instantly arms colleagues and clients to make informed decisions with confidence.

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