When the COVID-19 pandemic shook the whole world, the UK retail industry wasn’t spared either. The country witnessed the closure of around 70 per cent of retail units-mainly the non-essential stores.

The timeline by the UK government to reopen the retail outlets in June turned out to be a sigh of relief. The businesses from across the country were back in action, albeit with various rules and regulations.

Almost every retail store and discount shop out there had to adapt to the new style of operating their outlet. Many businesses moved online after noticing a surge in demands over digital channels. Some of them introduced doorstep delivery or made it more prompt to meet the customers’ expectations.

As a part of another trend, the customers made the orders via phone and collected them from the pound stores. This approach has prevented people from spending hours in crowded places. And, in return, has helped businesses to bounce back smoothly.

Talking specifically about online retail business, several discount pound stores online have relaxed their return/exchange policies to improve the experience of their customers. They are working trying their best to make the deliveries quicker.

Those who are running multi-channel business models need to offer a consistent experience to the customers. Many online businesses are now collaborating with social media influencers to promote their brand. Even UK discount stores can use this marketing approach by associating with YouTubers and/or Instagrammers from their region.

What does the future look like?
The technology will be the key driver of retail business soon. Just like Amazon, many discount stores online will rely on machine learning to offer personalized services. Even offline discount wholesale stores are going to use data to provide recommendations that make shopping experiences better.

The way customers make payments has already changed drastically. There is a surge in payments via smartphone wallet apps. It is predicted that payments iris or fingerprint scan will become the new normal by 2022. The pound shops and wholesalers also need to adapt to changing payment trends to survive in the market.

Clearance King - The trusted partner of retailers

At Clearance King, we strive to support our retail partners in regaining their momentum. As a token of our appreciation, we have introduced 5% discount on every order over 750 pounds. This applies to each product category on our  online wholesale pond line store.

And, free delivery for orders over 399 Pounds for mainland UK is still available.