In addition to the grit shown by the entire retail sector, business and technical agility are at the center of effective responses confronting COVID-19. Retailers still forced to the sidelines have a powerful sense of urgency to define their path that reclaims lost territory against industry disruptors, including Amazon.

Unfathomable “chinks” in their armor with delayed deliveries, precarious inventory shortages, and an unclear supply chain challenged consumer confidence and ravaged expectations. But the window to act will be narrow. 

No one could have anticipated the staggering reality thrust on global retailers over a matter of days. Agility to pivot to new, rapidly defined, quickly tested business models went from conversation to critical for survival.

Within a month, the customer-centric mission to serve became synonymous with continuity of service through curbside and no-contact pickups, real-time inventory, dark stores and appointments that enabled the ability to serve in the face of total market disruption. 

COVID-19’s attack on retailing’s primary mission — to serve customers where, when and how needed — requires a response with the vision and flexibility to shift resources on a day-to-day basis. Pre-crisis, technology-enabled agility was important, but within a matter of days, it became the lifeline for scaling and supporting critical services for customers. 

Call to Action: Build, Learn, Deploy

Many initial retailer responses emanated from their grit to serve crumbled when faced with an on-going scale and volume that surpassed any peak period in a retail year. The instantaneous shifts in behavior and unprecedented demand created a perfect storm, leaving many retailers without tools to serve customers at all.

The conversation that just weeks ago centered on evolution to a modern tech stack on a self-determined schedule evolved to the realization that slow response to existing technology limitations could challenge every aspect of business operations. 

Grocery presents one of the clearest examples of where flexibility to shift gears and resources to respond to customer needs quickly became hyper-critical. Leading grocers who, like Kroger, have invested in a culture of innovation found the investment in test-and-learn means they have tools on hand to execute in the face of unanticipated disruption.