Among one of the many changes that Covid-19 has forced upon us is the role of the store manager. In this article, we take a look at this role and job description before 2020, and how it has changed after-Covid.
Role of the store manager before Covid-19
1. Sales team management.
2. Staff hiring and training.
3. Designation of duties to staff.
4. Supervision of maintenance and cleaning.
5. Product placements.
6. Procurement and inventory management.
7. Customer experience management.
8. IT and technology purchase and implementation.
9. Business strategies to get more customers.
10.Enhance store profitability.
Additional roles for store managers after Covid-19
1. Safe distancing compliance:
This word “safe distancing” was not in any retail manual before Covid-19. Now it is part of the government compliance required. It is one of the key requirements for store managers - to ensure safe distancing among customers, to avoid long queues and crowds outside and within the shop.
2. Contact tracing:
If it turns out that one of your customers who visited your shop later tests positive for Covid-19, then the store manager will be held responsible for contact tracing. Specifically, when did this person come to your shop, and who else was there in the shop at that time? Depending on which country you're in, there are several popular contact tracing apps that you can start using immediately.
3. Staff safety with contact-less operations:
Covid-19's spread happens not just through person-to-person contact, but also because of contact with surfaces and objects that a Covid-positive customer has touched. Apart from use of sanitisers and gloves, both staff and customers must now go through a contactless transaction process.
4. Digital payments:
Digital is now more important than ever before, including contactless payment. Customers don’t want to give or accept cash, or even cards, since that requires contact between staff and customers. Start accepting digital payments such as using QR code-based fintech apps, and also POS systems that accept “waving” of cards close to the secure reader at the checkout counter.
5. Online orders:
The fastest way to go digital is online (eCommerce), by offering both digital payments and home delivery. No doubt it adds a new role or dimension to the business of store management. The challenge is to manage this with your existing staff and serve walk-in customers at the same time.
July 30, 2020 ·