"There’s lot of weekend dressing happening at home, on weekdays": Uma Talreja, Shoppers Stop

How is this pandemic economically different from the 2008 recession? A conversation on the future of retail and customer preferences.

Retail businesses have been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic. Post lockdown, customers may not be able to frequent their favourite retail outlets, as social distancing norms may still apply. Communication is key during these testing times, and keeping in line with this idea, Shoppers Stop has released a new ad on the occasion of Earth Day.

In a conversation with afaqs!, Uma Talreja, chief of marketing and customer officer, Shoppers Stop, says the ad film is intended as a tribute to the working women of the fashion industry. She mentions that the idea came from the brand’s name itself – ‘Back to Earth’. Talking about the visual treatment, she mentions that the entire ad was shot in reverse to show a product going back in time to the point of its origin. Talreja spoke at length about how Shoppers Stop and its employees are coping with the situation. Even though the stores and businesses are closed, the team is still working. “Whether it comes to training, meetings, preparing for store openings, working on different projects, etc., it’s all been pretty smooth in terms of transition,” she says. Here are some edited excerpts from the conversation.