Cutting Through the Coronavirus Noise
It’s hard to know what to say about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on both retail and the world.
On the one hand, it feels like we are hearing something new about it every hour. We are literally inundated with coronavirus information — to the point where it feels like we can’t possibly read one more article about it.
We wake up every morning feeling like Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation:
Source: https://imgflip.com/i/3svhuw
While we are considered an essential business in those parts of the country that have set out orders, there isn’t much we can say to make this easier or less scary.
On the other hand, this is an unprecedented situation and to not write about it on our weekly blog feels like we’re ignoring what’s going on.
As a national company in Canada, we support retailers and manufacturers in every province and in many different sectors — grocery, pharmaceutical, hardware, and more.
We can say from experience that throughout this pandemic, every province has had slightly different regulations. Every manufacturer has slightly different regulations. Every retailer has slightly different regulations. The situation is changing so rapidly that one thing said today could no longer be accurate tomorrow.
We don’t know how long the coronavirus pandemic will last. We don’t know how far it will spread. We don’t know what regulations will be put into place tomorrow, next week, or next month.
We know that this is very likely going to change the retail industry for months, or even years, to come.
To our valued customers, retailers, manufacturers, and more, we want to say:
- Thank you for your service. If you have been deemed an essential business and are continuing to put yourself on the frontlines, keeping up with stock demands, deep cleaning stores, and worrying about your own health and safety, thank you. Your continued efforts are acknowledged and profoundly appreciated.
- For those manufacturers and retailers who have been deemed non-essential or shut down business even before that call was made, thank you. We know that must have been a tough decision but thank you for taking the precautions to ensure your staff and community were kept safe.
- An enormous THANK YOU to our Marketsupport Field Teams out there who are supporting the manufacturers and retailers on the frontline. Thank you for continuing your efforts and ensuring that essential products are kept in stock.
- Lastly, this is a truly difficult situation — and one that is new to us all. But we have to believe that the retail industry, our country, the world, will come out of this on the other end.
While we can’t predict the future, we can continue to offer support. We want you to know that Marketsupport is here for you — however that looks right now. Where possible, we are continuing to support in-store operations to ensure essential products are kept in stock, on shelves, and provide emergency staff support while taking all necessary public health precautions.
Even if we can’t assist you in-store due to provincial or internal regulations, we want you to know that we are only a phone call, email, or social media message away. If there is any support we can give you remotely, we will be there for you.
We’ll also be continuing to post to our blog and social media, both about current events and with content that can hopefully help retailers and manufacturers in the future when the pandemic is cleared.
If there are any topics you want to hear about — coronavirus-related or not — please let us know. You can share with us on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
or call 1-877-421-5081 or email info@storesupport.ca.
Marketsupport Canada is here for you — however that looks like at the moment — and we will be here for you in the future.
Thank you and wishing you and your loved ones safety and health.
Sara Clarkson President/CEO Marketsupport Canada
