At this time of year Christmas approaches and along with it comes the shopping season. Yet these simple protection measures must be taken to tackle the coronavirus:
- Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and drones can help to avoid contagion
- Anyone can be Santa at some point, by delivering clean gifts and planning purchases in advance
Keywords: gifts, protection, Santa Claus, Christmas
VIPO GROUP
Santa Claus will have to visit in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. He will need to take care of himself and make sure that everyone gets his present safely. This is the challenge ahead in December 2020.
With so many presents to be delivered, they must be set up with anticipation. A proper Santa Claus would not risk to leave purchases for the last minute. This is what platforms such as Amazon, Decathlon and Corte Inglés are suggesting to their customers. The initiative “buy on time” is also a protective and reactivation measure used by small businesses.
An article by the El Confidencial (Spain) highlights that shopping early lowers the risk of mass conglomerations. Therefore, it is recommended that customers shop during the first week of December. If everyone makes their purchases during the second half of December, crowds will become more likely as well as the risk of contagion. As a consequence, it is more easier, affordable and safe to shop beforehand.
Santa Claus should hire drones
Our beloved white-bearded grand papa in a red suit has always been remembered by his sleigh pushed by reindeers. Over time, Santa Claus might not need to suffer from the cold in his old vehicle. Drones can safely deliver presents each year.
In Korea, the company Pablo Air has been authorized to perform this task in remote areas. Starting from the city of Incheon, a drone fleet delivers packages to distances of up to 57 kilometers. The landing spots are the Islands of Jawoldo and Ijakdo. The maximum distance is travelled in 1 hour and 56 minutes. This is not exactly a journey to the North Pole yet it is a major breakthrough.
Regarding the delivery of items, people who receive these products at home have lowered their guard. They are being less strict with protection measures. Hence, each package must always be disinfected and, if possible, use gloves to manipulate them for extra safety.
Santa Claus has always used leather gloves to drive his sleigh. Nonetheless, we are sure we will replace them with latex gloves along with hydro-alcoholic gel for disinfection. This example should be followed by distribution and logistics companies.
Gifts inside vehicles
According to the Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo in Spain, it is important to limit the manipulation of packages. Therefore, the institute offers some measures to logistics companies for their consideration:
- Limiting the manipulation of received packages to one person. This is the case for purchases performed through e-commerce or directly through a physical store. This person needs to disinfect properly before entering the household.
- In countries that experience all four seasons, winter brings cold temperatures. However, when gifts are bought and loaded into a particular vehicle, it must be ventilated at some point. Even opening the window panes for a few minutes will not make the people inside freeze but it will allow clean air to circulate. This is not a problem for Santa’s sleigh since it has no rooftop.
Making less contact and better purchases
It is highly likely that only between 30% and 50% of customers will be allowed within stores during the Christmas season. The purpose behind this is to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Given that stores will be surely affected by these measures they can also assume an active role and rebrand themselves as willing to contribute. VIPO is a clear example of this new strategy:
- VIPO implements artificial intelligence to interact with its customers by placing screens for customers to use. After they enter their size, style and interests, VIPO processes the data and makes customized suggestions.
Would Santa Claus be willing to use this technology? Of course given that he can deliver more on-the-mark presents. Furthermore, VIPO screens also indicate in which location they can find the clothing items. Thus, the manipulation is reduced as well as the contact with surfaces, without losing the experience of going to a physical store. More protection and less contagion risk, while delivering an innovative shopping experience.
In the case of online shopping, VIPO offers customers a solution to avoid refunds. Sizetool allows the user to pick their size according to the patterns of each brand.
Furthermore, VIPO gathers the data that is generated based on all the interactions. Afterwards, the data is processed and enables stores to improve their inventory and profile customers more accurately. As a consequence, Santa Claus will have more information for the following years and his presents will make people happier.
In a nutshell, different protection measures can be adopted to ensure that Santa’s gifts will arrive home safely. In the end, while gifts are important during Christmas, it is better that the customers who receive them are properly protected and healthy.
Reference links:
- Directrices de buenas prácticas, Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo: https://bit.ly/3q0Pfin
- Drone Delivery to be Available for Remote Areas in Korea, suasnews.com: https://bit.ly/3lZpX1w
- VIPO Group services: https://bit.ly/398Yua1
- Covid Christmas campaign: https://bit.ly/365xPcm
CRM TEAM
VIPO Group
