Regency, like many other retailers, had been building an online presence at a steady pace over the years, but that was still a small part of its business. Then the pandemic happened. Seemingly overnight, online operations became essential and a sense of urgency for evolving the company’s Web presence increased dramatically.
Part of the company’s strategy is to focus on offering the right products at the right price points and making sure the best offers are highlighted on the website. There has also been a shift in the type of furniture people are looking to purchase. Like many companies, due the pandemic, Regency had to change the way it delivers furniture to customers. Those changes include contactless deliveries and accommodating special drop-off requests. The company has also taken steps to protect its own drivers as well as customers by requiring masks, gloves and booties to be worn while making all in-home deliveries, Stuart says.
“We will soon be back to our brick-and-mortar operations to do what we do best: showing our product, interacting with our customers and having great conversations,” Stuart says. “Though this is the heart of our business, the reality is e-commerce and online buying are here to stay. Frankly, the online business had been evolving and the digital environment had been evolving well before this pandemic. The stay-at-home requirements just accelerated the pace.