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“Businesses should be considering what’s been innovative and what’s worked that they can continue to do, as well as the invisible side of the business such as their supply chain and employee talent pool,” Edelman says.
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One of the biggest changes to in-person shopping over the last year was the wide adoption of cashless payments, with many stores opting for touch-free options at checkout.
“It’s absolutely important for businesses to consider touch-free transactions as a way to both keep their staff and customers safe from potential exposure to COVID-19 or just germs in general,” Reyhle says. “Plus, touch-free transactions are efficient and help streamline the checkout experience, often making it quicker as well.”
By implementing a QR code payment system like PayPal QR Codes, stores can allow shoppers to easily initiate payments on their smartphones with their PayPal app or by scanning a QR code that the merchant displays. PayPal’s touch-free QR code solution not only helps make shopping safer by eliminating the need to handle cash, cards, or other screens, but it also means fast transactions for both customers and merchants, with money flowing into the merchant’s PayPal wallet almost immediately.
Edelman thinks that now is a good time for small businesses to evaluate these back- end processes as well as physical stores and shopping experiences.
As much as businesses have had to adapt to meet pandemic challenges, consumers’ expectations have also been changing.
“The pandemic not only caused small businesses to consider new avenues for their businesses, but also for consumers to consider new ways to shop. This includes everything from curbside pickup to delivery of items they historically bought in store,” says Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, founder of Retail Minded and author of the book “Retail 101.” “Many customers gained an appreciation for these new ways to shop, so merchants should absolutely continue to provide these variations. That said, in-store experiences are just as important as they used to be. The difference is that consumers want to feel more secure and safe in the places they shop.”
With online retail becoming a necessity for many stores, small businesses have found that they can offer consumers more flexibility when it comes to shopping and purchasing.
“Omni-channel experience was already a growing trend pre-pandemic,” says Michael Aparicio, founder and principal consultant at Revby LLC, a small business consulting and technical assistance company located in Boston. “The pandemic just accelerated that trend. Consumers now expect brands to have a presence online, provide experiences through a mobile device, and provide quality customer service no matter where they engage, whether it’s in person, through a chatbot, on social media, or email.”
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“Companies have had to change because the old ways of doing business, the ways that always worked before, suddenly, and very abruptly, didn’t work anymore because of COVID-19,” Edelman says.
As a result, 2020 was a year of rapid innovation for many businesses. Among the changes small businesses quickly put in place were measures to keep customers safe, including limiting the number of shoppers in stores, increasing cleaning and sanitizing, and offering touch-free payment options. While these innovations took off during COVID, don’t expect to see them disappear. In fact, it looks like they’re here to stay long term as both consumers and retailers have realized that some of the changes make for valuable additions to business offerings.
By David A. Kelly
A little over a year ago, the world was completely upended by the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic. Its effects were felt across nearly every aspect of daily life, and it dramatically impacted small businesses — causing many to shift their operations to adapt.
For many small businesses, the “new normal” may have opened the door to better retail experiences.
THAT ARE HERE TO STAY
and learn to do things differently”
How can QR codes improve your business?
Select your business
FOOD
TRUCK
FARMERS MARKET
& CRAFT FAIR
STORE
FRONT
Omni-channel offerings
Shop Different
Touch-free Payments
Innovations by necessity
“Small business owners are usually so focused on running operations day to day that this past year has been an opportunity to think differently, innovate, and think about what they do in a slightly different way. I think we’ll see a lot of innovation come out of this pandemic.”
What all of these changes signal is a renewed focus on the customer going forward. “One of the biggest tenets of retail is customer service,” says Bill Rennie, vice president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. “And a lot of companies have found that customers want options like curbside pickup or home delivery. I think we’re going to see a lot more of that continue post-pandemic, along with options such as appointment shopping for not just services like haircuts, but for clothing stores and other retail establishments.”
While the past year has been difficult for nearly every small business, experts are optimistic about new, more convenient retail experiences.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity out there,” Rennie says.
Setup PayPal QR Codes for your business
Print customized business cards, window decals, vinyl banners, and more featuring your unique QR code with Vistaprint
STEP 5
Click “QR Codes” to generate a unique-for-you code
STEP 3
Open the app and click “More” at the bottom right of the screen
STEP 2
Download the PayPal Business app on your smartphone or tablet
STEP 1
BRING IN-PERSON VISITORS TO YOUR WEBSITE
During COVID-19, many businesses swapped out hard copy menus for QR codes. Customers can scan the code with their phone and view food options at their leisure. This method limits the spread of germs and saves your business the time and cost of regularly printing new menus.
x
BUSINESS CHANGES
THE COVID-19
forced businesses to be more flexible
“The impact of COVID-19 has really
“The impact of COVID-19 has really forced businesses to be more flexible and learn to do things differently,” says Dr. Linda F. Edelman, professor and department chair in the Management Department at Bentley University, and an expert on woman-owned companies. From reaching customers differently to changing their products and pricing models, many small businesses had to swiftly implement new strategies.
FOOD TRUCK
Let customers view your menu and order
Customers can scan QR codes and view food options at their leisure. This limits the spread of germs and saves your business the time and cost of regularly printing menus.
Make payments simple and speedy
PayPal QR Codes let customers pay right from the PayPal app, just by scanning your code at checkout. It’s simple, secure, and fast — plus, it makes in-person ordering safer.
Grow your social media following
Connect with new fans and grow your following. Sharing your accounts through one QR code makes it easy for your audience to find you on their favorite platform.
Invite visitors to leave a review
Help your customers spread the word about your food by sharing a QR code to leave a review, so you can get more five-star feedback right away.
Bring in-person visitors to your website
Share a link to your website with a scannable QR code so visitors can make purchases whether they’re in person or at home.
FARMERS MARKET & CRAFT FAIR
Offer touch-free payments
PayPal QR Codes make checkout simple and touch free. Customers pay from their PayPal app by scanning your unique code, and the money quickly arrives in your account.
Invite customers to sign up for email
Customers can subscribe to your email list by scanning a QR code, so you can keep them informed of your next pop-up location or latest in-season stock.
Share info about your products on packaging
Shoppers care about the story behind products they purchase. With a QR code, you can link to a blog post or video that explains your product.
x
Share a special discount with customers
Whether an in-store giveaway or a link to an online sale, use a QR code to offer digital coupons. Then invite customers to share their savings with family and friends.
STOREFRONT
Promote or share info about new products
With a QR code, you can link to a catalog of your latest products or share a video that highlights reviews on why shoppers will love what you have in store.
Gain more followers on social media
Make it simple for your fans to find your store on their favorite platforms by sharing all your social media accounts with one QR code.
Make payments simple and secure
With PayPal QR Codes, offer touch-free checkout. Shoppers love the ease of making purchases right from their PayPal app, and cashless transactions make shopping safer.
x
Click “View Your Code” then “Save to Camera Roll” to save your QR code as a photo
STEP 4
FOOD
TRUCK
FARMERS MARKET
& CRAFT FAIR
STORE
FRONT
Step 5
Print customized business cards, window decals, vinyl banners, and more featuring your unique QR code with Vistaprint
Step 3
Click “QR Codes” to generate a unique-for-you code
Step 2
Open the app and click “More” at the bottom right of the screen
Step 1
Download the PayPal Business app on your smartphone or tablet
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Setup PayPal QR Codes for your business
Step 5
Step 4
Click “View Your Code” then “Save to Camera Roll” to save your QR code as a photo
transactions as a way to both keep
businesses to consider touch-free
“It’s absolutely important for
their staff and customers safe"
BUSINESS CHANGES
THAT ARE HERE TO STAY
FOOD TRUCK
Let customers view your menu and order
Customers can scan QR codes and view food options at their leisure. This limits the spread of germs and saves your business the time and cost of regularly printing menus.
Make payments simple and speedy
PayPal QR Codes let customers pay right from the PayPal app, just by scanning your code at checkout. It’s simple, secure, and fast — plus, it makes in-person ordering safer.
Grow your social media following
Connect with new fans and grow your following. Sharing your accounts through one QR code makes it easy for your audience to find you on their favorite platform.
Help your customers spread the word about your food by sharing a QR code to leave a review, so you can get more five-star feedback right away.
Invite visitors to leave a review
x
FARMERS MARKET
& CRAFT FAIR
Bring in-person visitors to your website
Share a link to your website with a scannable QR code so visitors can make purchases whether they’re in person or at home.
Offer touch-free payments
PayPal QR Codes make checkout simple and touch free. Customers pay from their PayPal app by scanning your unique code, and the money quickly arrives in your account.
Invite customers to sign up for email
Customers can subscribe to your email list by scanning a QR code, so you can keep them informed of your next pop-up location or latest in-season stock.
Shoppers care about the story behind products they purchase. With a QR code, you can link to a blog post or video that explains your product.
Share info about your products on packaging
x
STORE FRONT