Bring policy to life
We’ve previously written about the power of policy and making meaningful changes within your retail business, but your policy isn’t just for internal use. It needs to be felt outside of the organisation itself.
Colgate Palmolive Switzerland has become one of Europe’s leading retail brands to openly share its culture of diversity and inclusion with its customers. It talks in detail about its own internal policies and strategy, but also talks about how it spreads these messages among the community and customers, by attending local events that align with its policies and being seen to embody their approach.
The sky really is the limit for where you choose to bring your Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policies to life. You can attend events aimed at working mothers, LGBTQ+ meetups, or career fairs for people living with learning disabilities or neurodivergent conditions.
Or you can run those events in-store, to align with your own brand and policies. Whatever you do, make sure your actions are authentic, reflect your policy and are visible to your customers so they can see it in action.
Create inclusivity in the customer experience
Your retail store is the place to showcase your EDI policies to create long-lasting impact. From inclusive product ranges to store accessibility, your retail stores offer you the chance to put your money where your mouth is and make change happen for your customers.
Pop superstar Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, has become a champion of diversity and inclusivity for creating a huge range of foundations for over 50 skin tones. It changed the makeup industry for women of colour, becoming the first makeup brand renowned for creating truly inclusive ranges of products.
And Portuguese supermarket chain, Continente, is trialling an inclusive store concept to improve the shopping experience for people with disabilities.
Whether you choose to expand your product range for inclusivity (creating wider ranges of sizes, colours or products designed at helping those with disabilities) or you choose to focus on making your store more inclusive by using diverse mannequins, language assistance, or wider aisles, every effort will help you to live out your EDI goals and promises to customers.
Think ‘people first’
Representation is key for your EDI efforts to carry meaning with customers. Using diverse models and actors in advertising campaigns and in-store displays helps to emphasise your policies and beliefs.
Hiring a diverse range of staff and making sure there is representation in all role levels also highlights your commitment to EDI and helps your customers feel welcome in your stores.
The Accenture report, ‘All In: How inclusion and Diversity Drive Shoppers’ Behaviour’ highlights just how important representation is in retail stores. It says that sixty-two percent of shoppers would switch from a retailer where they feel unwelcome or unfairly treated.
But it’s not simply about representation, making sure your staff are trained on diversity and inclusion helps foster an environment of respect among staff and customers – making them feel welcome.
Asking for customer feedback might feel like a bold step, but it could help you to transform how your store feels for marginalised customers and allow you to make positive change for your brand.
Partner with a company that champions equality, diversity and inclusivity as much as you do. Speak to our team on +31 (0) 88 494 20 80 or email us at online@worldpack.eu
