Consider a brand's core customer, whose buying habits were already changed by the past year's events. As this retail shopper considers heading into the office, they might opt to swing by their local mall or high street for a new outfit. After a volatile year, what will they find? A revamped store format? A shuttered store? Or is it a new set of shops closer to their home with an emotional tug to shop local?

As shoppers return to stores, brick-and-mortars may no longer be as close or convenient, new competition may have appeared, and unexpected changes may impact the customer journey. Retailers that fail to take action may risk losing sales, customers, and loyalty as a result. With the recovery underway, retailers need to utilize this contextual intelligence, data, and retail technology to understand where their existing customers have moved and cater to their new locales.