Shopping is going to feel a little different this summer. Here’s a guide to some of the things you’ll see as you window shop, bargain hunt or treat yourself — and some of what you won’t.
What’s in:
— Sneakers and jeans
Denim and comfy footwear is the wardrobe of the day, said local personal shopper and image consultant Micki Turner. Pair that with a sweater or puffy jacket on those cold Bay Area evenings, and you’re ready for outdoor dining or a walk with friends.
Retailers are taking note. Lately, when Turner peruses the shoe department of her favorite high-end department stores, “the whole selling floor is sneakers,” she said. Dressy heels? Not so much.
— Outdoor spaces
Outdoors is the place to be this season, and more retailers — from mom-and-pop shops to large malls — are finding creative ways to use their outside space. Whether it’s Hillsdale’s North Block outdoor plaza, Westfield San Francisco Centre’s rooftop fitness classes or Valley Fair bringing live music back to the plaza, you can expect to see a lot of open-air events this summer.
— Being kind
As we all adjust to shopping within 6 feet of each other, local small business owners are asking for one thing from their customers: understanding.
“Have patience and let’s all be kind to one another,” said Mary Elias, store manager at Cole Hardware in Oakland. “We’re looking forward to having customers back in the store. And this has been a learning experience and a trying experience for a lot of us.”
At the same time, now is the time for retailers to go all out with their customer service, said Gary Castro, director of the Bay Area Retail Leadership Center at San Jose State University. Creating great personal interactions with shoppers is the best way to lure them back and combat the draw of online shopping, he said.
— Generous return policies
The outfit you ordered online isn’t as snazzy as you had hoped? As online shopping increased and some stores closed their fitting rooms, many retailers have become more generous with their return policies, said Rachel Michelin, president and CEO of the California Retailers Association. She expects those changes to stick around, even after the threat of COVID decreases.
— Shopping local
The pandemic fueled a major push to shop local — people rushed to support their beloved stores and help them survive COVID restrictions. Retail experts expect that trend to outlast the pandemic.
“I think it really opened folks’ eyes to what’s at stake,” said Brett Rounsaville, one of the founders of Keep Oakland Alive, an online platform that aggregates products from small Oakland retailers. “As much as there is a pro-local-shopping sentiment, there’s also kind of an anti-Amazon sentiment. Everyone knows those are dollars that could be spent locally and could be circulated here in our own community.”
What’s out:
— Sample/ tester products
Want to sniff a lip balm or try out a lotion before you buy it? You may be out of luck. Many stores removed “tester” products from their bath and beauty sections, concerned about spreading germs. It’s unclear when they will return.
“I hate that, frankly, because you can’t smell what you’re going to buy,” said Patty Brunn, co-owner of Maison d’Etre in Oakland. “So sales have decreased in things like that.”
— Cluttered, crowded stores
Many retailers have reorganized their stores to provide more space for social distancing, said Kirthi Kalyanam, executive director of Santa Clara University’s Retail Management Institute. They’re also being cautious about purchases. They’re buying less inventory, wary of being stuck with it if business remains sluggish.
“(Customers) should expect to see cleaner, more roomy store models,” Kalyanam said, “as opposed to the past where (retailers) would jam them up with goods.”