Page 28 - BusinessWest January 6, 2021

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2021 >>
Retail
Big Y’s Charlie D’Amour Reflects on 2020 — and the Year to Come
Editor’s Note: Retail was among the sectors most impacted by the pandemic. Some businesses were forced to close, while all
others had to make sweeping changes to how they did things to keep customers and employ- ees safe. BusinessWest asked Charlie D’Amour, president of CEO of Big Y, to put 2020 in per- spective and look ahead to what might come next.
BusinessWest: 2020 was certainly a tumultu- ous year for retail — and business in general. No one has a crystal ball, but what do you project for the year ahead, in terms of the economy and Big Y?
D’Amour: 2020 has certainly been fraught with challenges. Keeping our employees and customers safe while providing essential services has been foremost in our efforts. One of the big- gest challenges has been supply chain, and that has been compounded in a number of ways.
First, panic buying ensued, and safety stock that is usually kept in reserve evaporated over- night. Many manufacturers and food suppliers facing their own COVID challenges, from staffing
to supply, have not been able to keep up. Distri- bution centers have also felt these impacts, along with transportation, etc. Going forward, I do not expect that these areas will see a complete return to normal operation until late into 2021 or even into 2022. The recent uptick
in COVID cases has put a lot of pressure on transportation and distribution. I anticipate that once we get through
the holidays and the winter months, things will slowly improve.
that could continue to linger. From my conversa- tions with other supermarket operators both in China and in Europe, it seems that people are still reluctant to venture into inside venues. This has had an ongoing impact on restaurants, gyms,
“Staffing continues to be an area of focus for us, and we are actively hiring. Currently, we have more than 1,000 open positions.”
Staffing continues to be an
area of focus for us, and we
are actively hiring. Currently,
we have more than 1,000
open positions. We’ve adapted
our training protocols to keep
everyone safe yet provide adequate training.
Though I’m optimistic about the economy starting to bounce back in 2021, it is clear that government help will be needed, especially for those who have lost their jobs and for busi- nesses that are struggling. There may be some longer-term systemic changes to the economy
CHARLIE D’AMOUR
movie theaters, travel and hospitality, etc. As the vaccine takes hold, I believe that this will improve and folks will begin to travel again, and ‘experiences’ will become foremost in returning to some normalcy.
How and where people work, I think, will be forever
Retail
Continued on page 30
28 JANUARY 6, 2021
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2021
BusinessWest