Nationwide Marketing Group has released a trove of resources for the independent retail channel as dealers across the country look for guidance on reopening their showrooms to the public. The Back to Business Hub, located on Nationwide’s public website, is aimed at making the path to reopening an easy one to navigate for retailers.
“No two retailers are going to have the same exact path back to business, and we know that what works for one dealer may not necessarily work for the next,” says Nationwide President and Chief Member Advocate Tom Hickman. “But what we can do is arm all independent retailers with the tools they need to make the best decision for their business as they look to reopen in the coming days and weeks.”
The Hub organizes all of these resources into essential business functions, making it easy for retailers to find the information they need. Business topics covered include Business Services, Financial Services, Digital, Merchandising, Marketing, Human Capital, Health Policy and more. Within each area, users will find best practices, checklists, policy recommendations and template forms. And just as the situation with COVID-19 has been fluid and ever-changing, the Hub will act in a similar fashion. As new information and resources become available, Nationwide will work quickly to add them to the Back to Business Hub.
Nationwide’s internal business area experts worked to gather these resources over the past several weeks as attention has shifted from managing business through the crisis to preparing to come out the other side. Where applicable, Nationwide leaned on employment attorneys to help develop and vet this information.
In addition to the business resources in the Hub, Nationwide will also look to share members’ stories of success as well as case studies showing how retailers have successfully reopened their stores.
“Our goal with the Hub is to provide independent retailers with the tools they need to get back to business as quickly and as smoothly as possible, no matter where they are in that process,” says Rick Bellows, executive vice president of Membership. “Some of our dealers were forced to completely close their doors during this difficult time, and others have been operating at or near full capacity. Whether a dealer just needs guidance around updating their delivery policies or they need help getting back up and running, our goal is to provide them all the answers they’re looking for.”
Nationwide’s back-to-business initiative is a continuation of the group’s efforts to provide independent retailers with the resources they need to manage their business during the COVID-19 crisis. Since early March, Nationwide has delivered an endless stream of assets and tools to the independent retail channel, regular webinars featuring employment attorneys, government advocacy tools, and more.
Rob is the corporate communications manager for Nationwide Marketing Group.
