Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - May/June 2020

98 THIS TOO SHALL PASS At the time of writing, the world is in the grips of the global lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. And while many are understandably scared of the unknown, now is the time to focus on the future… The global outbreak of coronavirus has caused a worldwide pandemic, economic downturn and untold deaths, in a turn of events no one could have predicted. And while there is, at present, still uncertainty regarding the future, it’s at times like these that communities come together, the kindness of strangers is shown, and people go out of their way to support each other. Amidst all the feelings of stress, panic and sadness, one of the greatest takeaways is that we are all in this together, and we will all come back stronger. However, that is all well and good, but on a practical business front, it’s clear that it’s not a smooth path ahead. But, and this is the most important thing to hold on to, there is a path. At the time of writing, social isolation is being enforced and most companies are shuttering high street stores and independent boutiques. However, the very beauty of our industry is that we are nothing if not prepared, and with the digital age having threatened our high streets for some time, now is the time to make the most of this technological onslaught. While retailers may not be stocking in store for the time being, in times of adversity consumers still like to purchase a little pick me up. As has been previously coined the Lipstick Effect, while sales of big-ticket items may be slow, the smaller gifts items will inevitably still sell because even in times of austerity and uncertainty, people still like to indulge. Crisis management will of course be in full swing across many companies during this turbulent time. However, it is our business response that will see us come through the other side of this. Of course, we are in unchartered waters – unprecedented times we’re likely to never see again in our lifetime. But when the end is in sight, and it will be in sight, the fight we put in now to stay afloat will make our industry emerge bigger, better and stronger than ever before. Because, there will be celebrations, there will be parties, people will have a cup overflowing with love for their most treasured human beings, and gifting will once again be revived. So adapt, take this time to nurture your online store, keep pushing your social media – now more than ever people are lapping up online content – adapt your marketing strategies to mirror the situation we find ourselves in, engage with your customers online more and try to establish a deeper relationship for when people begin spending as normal. We are all in this together and no one has it easy, but we must try to do what we do best – keep calm and carry on. And if all else fails, there’s always gin.