Lockdown 2.0, the comeback, the sequel — the reboot no one wanted. Whatever we are going for as a name, it has brought with it some worries.

• Will supermarkets be able to stock essentials?
• Will supply chains hold steady?
• What about pre-Christmas spending?
• And importantly, will stockpiling come back again?

These are all valid and important questions. Our way of life has changed beyond any reasonable imagined reality, and with it, we have all had to try our hardest to understand the nuances of science, virology and supply chain forecasting to get reassurance.

‍Supermarkets will thrive

The good news is that supermarkets are more prepared as we enter a second lockdown period. Back in March, this was an unprecedented change. The orders to stay home threw forecasting into a real state of panic, online orders and click and collect surged, and demand outstripped supply.

Luckily, even navigating one Lockdown has put retailers into great shape to cope with future changes.

Retailers have been skilling up

Some 90 per cent of leaders surveyed by McKinsey said they planned to increase the amount of digital supply-chain talent within their organizations, through a combination of in-house reskilling and external hires. Just over half also expect permanent changes to their planning processes in the next normal, such as greater centralization of planning activities, shorter planning cycles, and introducing advanced-analytics techniques.

Retailers are making changes that will last

As consumers habits have changed, so have the retailers. Responding to the many who switched to online retail channels during the crisis, or who opted for curbside and in-store pickup of online orders, retailers are tightening up their offering.

There are benefits here to both consumer and retailer, as the predictability of how people buy becomes flattened.

A recent UK survey showed that two in five people intend to carry on purchasing goods online rather than return to stores when they re-open.

This means for retailers that they are keen to become more agile.

As warehouses and stores are full of stock, and many retailers are structured around seasons and the products to meet these season, lost sales are difficult or even impossible to make up for. Many will be ensuring that they have the agility to sell through a different channel and to react to shifting demands. For this, they need to fully understand the location, the flow, and the status of products.

Orderly’s applications capture demand to ensure a reduction in supply chain waste that streamlines the forecast capture process for limited time offers and seasonal food and beverage campaigns.

Planning and replenishment teams can invoice more accurately and on time, with no need to write off stock, due to our tools enabling them to move the responsibility to licensees.

‍Retailers can thrive with the right technologies in place

There is also a heartening desire from many to retain the environmental benefits that were a by-product of reduced economic activity may lead to an increased emphasis on sustainability in future business operations. Balancing this with a need to have a sustainable economy and to shift our national debt, a new way of shopping and purchasing may emerge from consumers, and retailers are already ‘tooling up’ to serve this new need.

Known as “Omni-operations“ many retailers will be keen to combine services from offline and online. The role of stores is changing, but with confidence in stock accuracy and merchandise visibility, retailers will go from strength to strength, wherever ‘new normal’ takes us.