Weathering the COVID storm

Thank you for your support during COVID-19

It has been a tough few months for businesses with millions of brick-and-mortar retail stores facing closure as we battle against COVID-19 around the world.

As Australia begins to open up again and we head back into the ‘new normal’ it has been encouraging to see so many retail outlets weather the storm and come out the other side with continuing support from consumers.

There’s no doubt retail has suffered greatly this year, and perhaps the full effects have not yet been witnessed. However here at Linens Unlimited, we are hopeful that we’re now past the worst of it and that we will begin to see the market improve.

Time to reflect

One of the benefits to have come out of COVID was the chance to slow down and take stock on our lives, both personally and professionally. When many of us were forced to close the doors of our business, at least temporarily, it gave us the chance to reflect on what is important. We were given the time and space to reflect and improve.

For me, this meant working on Linens Unlimited and spending time with family. And I also finally had time to sit down and write a few blog posts!

A change in operations

One of the biggest changes to retail over the past few months has been the switch to online sales. If a brick-and-mortar business didn’t have a strong online presence before COVID-19, the outbreak certainly showed how vital it is to be able to sell online.

It was amazing to see so many companies respond to COVID-19 in this positive way, quickly establishing their online inventories in a short six-week time frame; selling to their customers without the need for physical contact.

I do think many businesses have changed for the better by learning to adapt in this fashion and I admire their resilience and braveness in rising to the challenge COVID-19 threw their way.

The future of Linens Unlimited

Thankfully, we already had a strong web presence before COVID-19 through our online catalogue.

What the crisis has demonstrated is how important it is to keep our online wholesale website up and running so our retailers can easily view and order our range from afar.

This means our clients have the convenience of being able to make purchases online without the need to visit our showroom or attend a gift fair. We are also listed on Fieldfolio – Australia’s number 1 wholesale platform – making the process of purchasing our products easier than ever.

We don’t feel brick-and-mortar retail will ever die out for good, as shoppers love the human connection the online world can’t truly provide. However, the increased number of people working from home and having the time to browse online has shown the retail world that online shopping will not be disappearing any time soon.

The future is bright

Now restrictions around the country are beginning to lift, we are optimistic that tourism, like retail, will begin to make a comeback. Perhaps overseas travelers won’t be able to visit Australia for awhile, but COVID-19 has given us a unique opportunity to explore our home country and embrace the beauty within our backyard.

Like with tourism, we’re hopeful retail will begin to see growth as consumers become more confident in their spending ability once again. We’re expecting sales will be boosted in the months to come and, what we originally thought would be a very bleak outlook for retail, might not turn out to be so bad after all.

Thank you for your support

Linens Unlimited would like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ to our customers for sticking by us through these difficult times and continuing to support our venture.

We hope you and your family are also beginning to see an upturn and may your future be bright in all your endeavours.