How has retail adapted to its biggest ever change? Open again for the first time since late March, it was important to see first hand the adaptations that non-essential shops had made and whether it would feel ‘normal’. Queuing, floor stickers and sanitising stations were bound to be prolific, but would any brands shake off the circumstances, exceed expectations and provide customers with a
wow-factor experience?
Hand sanitiser, check. Face mask, check. Pre-booked parking, check. Birmingham was the first destination on the Retail Safari, with Selfridges and the ‘World’s Biggest’ Primark the main targets. Out of town retail parks were also of interest. With public transport still to be avoided unless absolutely necessary, would The Fort on the outskirts of Birmingham, and Fosse Park in Leicester benefit from their car-centric set-ups?