OC6: The Future of Retail in a Post COVID World with Arnaud Frade

On today's episode of the Our Community podcast, I'm joined by Arnaud Frade, futurist, analyst and trusted advisor to senior executives across a wide range of businesses and government departments. We talk about the world of retail and Arnaud shares his thoughts around accelerating trends that were already apparent before the current pandemic. He notes that lack of investment in training has led to poor customer service and this combined with unappealing product ranges has resulted in many retailers becoming hopelessly distant from their mission. He advises that successful retailers must have a passion for, and be anchored in the heart of their community. They must use their knowledge of the community to carefully curate their products and hone a personal customer service that will build loyalty and trust. The use of technology and social media must focus on fostering human connection. For brands, a strong transparent ethical framework where failure as well as success is honestly communicated will foster trust. Diversity and inclusiveness must also be part of the mix. An emphasis on using technology to reduce friction between the brand and the buyers needs to be constantly refined. Arnaud is always worth listening to and I'm hopeful his analysis and predictions will ensure the retail industry will serve all of us better in the future.