The global pandemic has brought economies to a halt and imposed strict health rules on the entire retail market. Non-essential shops had to close up for an indefinite period of time. Once the shock has passed, a period of reorganisation began, marked by the introduction of health protocols, but at the same time, by the emergence of solidarity initiatives strengthening the link between the public and private sectors. Novel and sometimes surprising partnerships have been proof positive of the incredible resilience and creativity that the retail sector has shown.
Altavia Japan recently received “Gold” rating in the 2020 Sustainability Assessments issued by the French company EcoVadis. Why did you choose to be evaluated by EcoVadis ?
The INSEE statistics are irrefutable: the measures to protect a large part of the French economy from the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a 36% drop in economic activity.
In France, as everywhere else in the world, physical trade has been devastated by the pandemic, due to the various lockdown measures implemented by governments. The majority of shops meeting “essential needs” (food, convenience store, etc.) have remained open, but the experience is radically different, whether from the customers’ or employees’ point of view. Numerous initiatives have emerged to provide a means of survival, or even growth, for these crippled organizations, while keeping security measures at the forefront. Let’s take a look at what these measures can implicate for tomorrow.
The global health crisis is undeniably impacting consumer habits in all countries concerned. The closure of so-called “non-essential” businesses has created offsetting effects on the various ways to sell products and services. A company’s capacity to adapt digitally as well as their flexibility in general, are proving to be key data for business survival and profitability.
