Story originally appeared in Retail Gazette on June 17, 2020. Excerpts from the story below. To see the full story visit retailgazette.co.uk.

Before lockdown, consumers used both online and offline shopping, turning to websites, social media and reviews to inform purchases in store – and this is likely to continue post-lockdown. But retailers could capitlise on this by encouraging more customers to share experiences of products through ratings and reviews to drive confidence among shoppers and entice them back into stores. Wayne Snyder, vice president of retail industry strategy at supply chain platform Blue Yonder, said retailers must act “flexibly” in this “temporary normal”.