SOGO Brain Spin To Survive In The Midst Of A Pandemic: Promote One Stop Shopping Concept, Present Pharmacy At The Entrance

SOGO Department Store. (Doc. SOGO Indonesia)

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 pandemic requires entrepreneurs to innovate to develop their business. If you can't innovate, it's difficult for a company's business to survive in the midst of uncertainty when the pandemic will end. This is what SOGO Department Store does by carrying the concept of one stop shopping, by presenting a pharmacy in front of its entrance.

For your information, one stop shopping is the concept of shopping for the needs of a product in one place or one stop. As is known, SOGO is generally known as a tenant who sells cosmetics or clothing.

Managing Director at SOGO Indonesia Handaka Santosa said that during this pandemic, people are reluctant to linger outside their homes. Therefore, today's department stores must change the business concept by continuing to innovate. If it only provides a place to shop, it will be abandoned by the customer or customers.

"Nowadays, people always think that department stores sell clothes, sell shoes, cosmetics, etc. But soon we will be taking steps to change SOGO in Kota Kasablanka, for example, we have opened a pharmacy, not just for our pharmacy needs. also opened a booth right at our main door," he said in a virtual discussion, Thursday, July 29.

Handaka said that previously, the entrance to SOGO was generally filled with cosmetic booths, during this pandemic, management changed it by presenting a pharmacy instead. This concept was taken because it is in accordance with the trend of needs during the COVID-19 pandemic

"We have broken it down. People also see how the trend of customer needs is, how people go to one place and get everything," he said.

Besides that, said Handaka, there are two main keys that SOGO does to be able to survive in difficult times like today. First, experience, and secondly customer service. According to him, service to customers will greatly affect loyalty.

"That really had to be done to bind customers. Not only to be loyal but to make it the only choice of place to shop," he said.

Handaka said, this customer service also really depends on the attitude of the employees. Therefore, according to him, employees must be able to improve their attitude for the better to support the achievement of customer loyalty.

"Our employees must have a different attitude, not only active, but active, but how can the former one be active, the second is creative. These two things must be implemented so as to produce something that pleases the customer," he explained.