What Can We Expert From The 2020 Peak Period?

What we do know from previous years of retail trading, is that planning and preparation are both essential to ensuring your retail stores are ready for a surge in customer activity.

Getting ready for the peak period is ensuring you have all the appropriate technology and IT infrastructure in place, that will support your customers’ when they come into your stores over the next couple of months.

We all know that even in a COVID-19 world, online sales (particularly for apparel) still only account for a small percentage of overall sales. It is reported to be around 16%. We know that this number is likely to increase with on-going COVID-19 restrictions, but research shows that with appropriate health and safety measures in place, customers are keen to get back and shop in-store.

Black Friday Trading (27th November 2020) Christmas Peak (November 2020 – January 2021)

The team at KFP are seeing an increase in customer requirements for IT installs, EPOS rollouts and cabling installation services, simply because customers know that even with the various restrictions in place, getting prepared for peak is essential.

• Looking to get COVID ready technology in place and installed across their estate

• Looking to scale up IoT device technology, in particular, self-scan and service technology

• Reassessing their service plans to ensure they have all the support provisions in place for break-fix and that SLA’s can be delivered by their incumbent providers

1. Some customers are now looking at their EPOS estate, by assessing its suitability to manage large scale traffic should it increase over the next few months or at short notice, even with social distancing measures in place
2. Many are using this time to rollout technology and install essential IT works, including but not limited to wireless technology, structured cabling, EPOS installation, & IoT devices
3. Some are even setting out plans for 2021, with the optimism that footfall will increase once restrictions are eased

• Acting now, gives you an advantage of being fully prepared and ready for the peak period, both in-store, and online

• Reassessing your IT infrastructure allows you to review your payment models. At KFP, we can provide OPEX models which save you both time and money, whilst supplying you with the latest technology

• Do you have the correct support contract in place? Are all your stores covered by break-fix support? Are you being supported with the right SLA’s? Now is a great time to review

The truth is, we don’t know what the next six months will hold for the retail and hospitality industry, but what we do know is that preparation is key.

In our 20 years’ experience of supporting the retail and hospitality industry, we can help you from deploying IoT technology in-store, installing back of house technology and supporting technology such as wireless deployments and structured cabling. All our services are geared to getting you and your stores ready for peak.

If you are a retail, hospitality or corporate business and want to install COVID-19 ready technology to support your employees and customers, then speak to one of the team today.

sales@kfpit.com | +44 (0) 1235 539101 | www.kfpit.com