Now, retailers face a particularly difficult period as the new Covid variant increases nervousness amongst consumers heading out to the high street. Online sales will make up for it to an extent. But ultimately, retailers must work even harder to deliver a harmonised experience which can dispel consumer anxieties over stock-outs, while creating a safe physical environment to shop in.

Key to this is integrating physical stores seamlessly with digital channels to create a harmonious slick purchasing experience – for example, transforming retail shops and store space into socially-distanced operational hubs and pick up locations for items purchased online. Retailers need to be smart and become more spacious for shoppers, using cross channel methods like Click & Collect to accommodate those who are keen to get in and out as quickly as possible.