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DCA members reflect on this tumultuous year
By Beth Slow, DCM reporter
After a year which has put unprecedented pressure on the entire retail and eCommerce sector, businesses have been most adept in finding new ways to adapt. A survey carried out by the DCA has found that many remain optimistic, despite the constantly changing business landscape and the uncertainties ahead.
A
fter the first wave of the pandemic hit, a large number of companies
invested substantially to ensure the safety of their team members and the public. Measures introduced included remote working, split shifts, creating worker ‘bubbles’ and introducing Perspex screens, sanitising stations and increased security in stores.
“When we learned that our business was outperforming many others, we felt a bit guilty and kept quiet. It has been a record year for us with customers returning to buy again and again.”
One of the main challenges presented early on in the pandemic was the impact on supply chains and logistics. Freight shipments from the Far East in particular were delayed, meaning that seasonal stock could not be accessed and sold by UK businesses. This was then compounded by national lockdowns in many countries as the pandemic spread. Many retailers moved to cancel orders as their stores
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were forced to close but were lambasted for their heavy-handed actions, with many then accepting the moral obligation not to betray suppliers in third world countries. Then there was the matter of trying to cope with increased volumes of online and direct orders for home delivery. When you couple this with Brexit planning related pressures it has made for a very trying period.
Tracey Putt, managing director at Museums Selection – which sells furniture and home accessories – said: “Our supply chain has been very badly hit by the pandemic, with long delays in manufacture and shipping. We have experienced rising costs in shipping and despatch and our warehouse has found it difficult to manage the additional demand, while following the essential Covid-19 safety guidelines put in place.”
Another sector expert agreed that the “most testing” department for its business was warehousing and order fulfilment. The creation of a Covid-safe working environment was not without its challenges requiring considerable
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