In January 2020, RSR began surveying retailers to understand the challenges they face in in a rapidly changing retail landscape. We wanted to understand what inhibitors exist to building organization agility to plan, execute and respond more effectively. We also wanted to understand how they would adjust business processes to reflect the changing landscape, including the introduction of new formats, and how quickly they could adopt and monitor those process changes.

Then, the ultimate disruptor arrived on the scene: COVID-19.

The supply chain has proven far more brittle than anyone imagined, and retail workers in stores (mostly food and drug) and distribution centers find themselves on the front lines in the fight to maintain some sense of normalcy amid the chaos. But where do we go from here? And how agile will the battered retail industry prove to be in shifting into yet another new normal? Is it ready for change?

As a result – this study has taken on dramatic new importance. The world has changed. We’re not even quite sure what shape that change will ultimately take but we must understand if retailers are ready.