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BUSINESS THROUGH INNOVATION FROM PAGE 19 marketing platform or media channel to offer to FMCG partners for providing offers to the member base. • A platform to recognise and reward customers for regular purchase. “Once petrol and convenience retailers decide on their objectives, they can then prioritise how to best use the program to achieve those objectives,” Mr Posner said. “It needs to be strategy before structure. A programs strategy needs to be formulated before a program structure is designed and deployed. “It’s important to understand customer behaviours and attitudes to their category, in order to design and build a loyalty program that adds to their lives in relation to the category buying behaviour and interaction – both in rewards and experience.” Embracing community (and don’t forget yourself) ACAPMA’s Mr McKenzie emphasises that having the potential to operate as “a critical element of local communities” is an important offshoot of the COVID-19 period. “Perhaps we haven’t taken full advantage of this,” he said. “While much has been spent on developing glitzy physical spaces and procuring a range of exciting food offerings, it appears that many businesses were successful simply because they were perceived to be part of the local community – and a useful part. “This message, coupled with the fact that we’re likely to see a stronger sense of community in a post-COVID world and more people working from home long term, means that we need to find contemporary ways to provide outstanding customer service supported by value-for-money products beyond the traditional range.” To make the most of such potential, UCB’s Mr Park says, retailers should take advantage of “their own voices”. “This can be through your member group, such as UCB, or you can express this via AACS or industry journals and magazines such as Convenience World,” he said. “If you see opportunities and you need help to bring them to life, share them and let’s see where we can go together.” Mr Park also reminds retailers to take care of themselves. “This remains a tough period to trade through and you need all your strength and calmness,” he said. “If anyone out there feels that I can be of some assistance, I’m happy to take your call confidentially. If we can help even one retailer, I’ll be very grateful.” NEW SUNRISE RISES TO THE CHALLENGE COVID-19 has had a “significant impact” on the P&C channel both from an economic and social viewpoint, says New Sunrise Managing Director Steve Cardinale “From the onset, and largely from when it was made clear that the industry was considered an essential service, retailers were forced to implement changes virtually overnight,” he said. “I strongly believe that independent retailers led the way.” He says such leadership has involved increased cleaning measures in forecourts and at key touchpoints within stores, roadhouses dealing with uncertain messages around the ability to serve truck drivers during this time and some moving to take-away, and understanding government assistance packages for retaining employees who are largely part-timers or casuals. COVID-19 has had a physical and psychological impact at New Sunrise on “all of us, our family, our staff, and our customers”, Mr Cardinale says. “There’s no doubt that COVID-19 will change the way we interact,” he said. “We now think twice about touching a door handle or petrol nozzles, and have great respect for each other’s personal space. “What were once seen as standardised (and sometimes mundane) procedures in retail, have now become critical business imperatives and a competitive point of difference between retailers.” Doing these “small, simple tasks” well and consistently was highlighted in the New Sunrise launch of a 90-day ‘retail boot camp’ in May. “This is a road-to-recovery initiative which concentrated on setting the store up for success in this new hypersensitive environment, ready to meet a changed customer expectation,” Mr Cardinale said. Previously, New Sunrise had supplied its retailers with a communication pack containing counter sneeze guards and a suite of social distancing signs for the pumps, store entrance and floor decals. Mr Cardinale admits it won’t be an easy road ahead. “However, I feel the future looks good for New Sunrise retailers,” he said. “We have a lot to look forward to. We have re-engineered our promotional activity and our customer value proposition and taken a fresh new look at all our categories. We’ve already commenced rolling this out and we’re already seeing good sales growth well above the market.” 20 CONVENIENCE WORLD JUL/AUG, 2020