Niche stores with small inventories hold the keys to resilience in the face of global disruption
Some stores seem able to weather the pain of uncertainty and disruption more than others.
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Decrease in footfall, competition from online retailers, disrupted supply chains — and now tariffs. In many places, the problems faced by brick-and-mortar retailers are visible for all to see, with main-street stores now shadows of their former selves.
Yet some stores seem able to weather the pain of uncertainty and disruption more than others. What sets them apart?
A study published in Production and Operations Management by IESE’s Victor Martinez de Albeniz and Diego Aparicio, along with Jordi Balsach, examined which Zara and Bershka stores fared best during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their insights offer valuable lessons that extend beyond crisis periods, shedding light on what it takes to survive and thrive in an evolving retail landscape.
The study shows a severe aggregate decline in offline retail sales during COVID. Specifically, units sold by Zara and Bershka declined 43% in 2020 and declined 53% in the six months from March 2020.
[This article has been reproduced with permission from IESE Business School. www.iese.edu/ Views expressed are personal.]