Is it time to explore ‘click & go’ option for small businesses?

ONE certainty arising from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it is going to change the way in which people meet, congregate and do business in the months and years to come.

There is an obvious nervousness among consumers as they consider returning to the high street again to shop and socialise.

The immediate future for many businesses is going to be (as much as is possible) a minimisation of hand to hand contact and large gatherings of people for long periods in congregated settings.

Advertising to consumers across multiple forums has never been more necessary as social distancing becomes the new norm - customers need to be engaged with like never before.

This is why the ‘click & go’ option may gain traction. Many of the larger retail outlets are already doing this and it may be time for smaller businesses (who in the past may have relied on footfall) to do the same.

For example, many small businesses have already revamped their websites to deal with social distancing protocols.

Yet a better option might be to set up a store app that shows the items available in store. This allows consumers to pre-select and pay for items prior to calling to the shop for collection, lessens congestion in shops, and streamlines social distancing to allow businesses function in an organised way.