When the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic first became clear, Kevin Fried, Google’s industry leader of specialty retail, talked to more than 40 retailers about their concerns. Weeks later, he continues to hear from them about the challenges they’re facing, in particular the ongoing closures and restrictions on their physical stores.

The fact is, there’s now a tremendous amount of pressure on retailers’ e-commerce sites to not only sell inventory and generate revenue, but also to support, inform, and reassure customers along the way. It’s a delicate balancing act, but not an impossible one. 

Fried and his team have identified a number of strategies that retailers can apply to provide customers with relevant, frictionless, and helpful shopping experiences right now.