Retail Signage in a Post-COVID World

As of mid-March, 20% of the U.S. population has had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. President Biden has publicly said his administration is pushing to have the vaccine available to every adult in the country by May, with production ramping up and distribution being streamlined. And with this comes a slow relaxing of restrictions that will, hopefully, mean that by summer we will start to see a return of something akin to “normal.”

But what does that mean for retail, and how will that impact the wide-format and signage printers who serve them?

The past 12 months have been marked by a number of changes, and retail was one of the industries hardest hit by closures and quarantines. Overall spending dropped by 10%-15%, in general, according to a number of surveys, although some of that was made up in massive spikes of e-commerce sales — but not all. Some categories, such as housewares, consumer electronics, and toys were the strongest, reflecting a need to try and entertain at home, and make life more comfortable. Other categories, like fashion, saw steep drops as people held off investing in items that would languish in closets while waiting for the world to open up again. But there is a glimmer of hope — as the latest round of stimulus payments begin to roll out at the same time stores are starting to toe the line of reopening, the pent up demand for retail shopping will likely increase.

That said, nearly every study done thus far has shown that vaccines and stimulus payments aren’t going to be enough to completely overturn the changes COVID has wrought on retail. Across the board, consumers have said that while they are looking forward to being able to shop in person again, they aren’t going to give up e-commerce. It was a growing trend before the pandemic hit, and the past 12 months have broken down nearly all of the barriers that held online shopping back as a platform. This means retail stores will have to provide something unique and different to entice shoppers through the doors, rather than just interacting via a website.

Creating Unique Experiences

One of the primary tools retail locations will have in their arsenal for getting customers back through the doors is to create unique and engaging experiences. Experiential marketing isn’t new, but it will take center stage as the world reopens, seeking to give consumers a reason to overcome the wariness of public spaces that COVID has instilled in us all.

To create those experiences, retail brands will rely on wide-format and signage partners to help them create eye-catching graphics that pull people in and make them want to engage. A sign or two in the window might help with branding, but it won’t do much to encourage a consumer to step inside instead of picking up their phone or opening a Web page. A few elements to have in your arsenal include:

1. Floor graphics.

These have been a mainstay in a COVID world, encouraging social distancing in retail locations that have remained open, and they aren’t going to disappear overnight. In the beginning of the pandemic, floor graphics were simple and plain, with everyone more focused on just getting them up than branding them, or using them as part of any marketing efforts. That has already begun to shift, and expect that trend to accelerate, as brands and retail locations use floor graphics to not only continue to evoke confidence in the brand’s push to keep customers safe, but also as a place to introduce branding messages and make people want to step inside.

2. Window graphics.

Window displays have always been a big part of the retail experience, a place for a brand to highlight big sales and interesting products, or — during COVID — provide health and safety information. The windows are an opportunity for brands to pitch to consumers and give them a reason to want to walk inside. Creative uses of substrates combined with technologies, such as digital displays, will make potent tools for retail locations looking to open up and get customers coming back. Have examples of what your shop can produce, and some of the more interesting and creative signage ideas ready to go to help them find new ways to stand out.

3. Digital displays.

Speaking of technology, digital displays aren’t going away — in fact, they’re only getting more powerful, and brands are only getting more creative with them. They won’t replace traditional signage, but to create cohesive experiences, the print will need to work seamlessly with the digital — for more on that, see the feature on the following page.

4. Clean and sanitized.

Especially through 2021, don’t expect the need for elements such as barriers and hand sanitizing stations to disappear overnight. While the vaccine will give consumers the confidence to begin to venture out again, it will take time for these new learned behaviors to fade. Retail locations will be looking to introduce more branding elements to these components however, instead of the simple and utilitarian examples that have already rolled out. This is another place where a wide-format and signage shop can shine — offer creative ways to blend health and safety with eye-catching graphics that stand out.

5. Custom COVID signage.

At first, many retail locations still offering services just looked to get informational signage up as fast as possible, which meant, for the most part, relying on templates or mass-produced signs that conveyed the information. Expect that to change — the need for the information will still be there, but as stores begin to open up and situations start to change, they will look to transition back to messaging that is unique to their brand. It will be more than just a matter of changing the color — brands will be looking for ways to connect with and reassure customers while reinforcing their brand connection at the same time.

All of this combined means there is opportunity for wide-format and signage shops. Retail has always been a strong vertical for this industry, and was one of the hardest hit when the pandemic began. Don’t expect it to bounce back to 2019 levels right away, but in the second half of 2021, it will begin to trickle back. Shops ready to go with ideas for unique ways to capture consumer attention and draw them in will be well positioned to capture this market share.