Retailers’ search for social purpose focuses on the unprecedented for now: what some have been doing for causes as we all try to combat Covid 19

  I’ve often written about charities and retailers working in partnership, highlighting retailers’ ability to support causes and communities in a myriad of ways over and above cash donations. These include long-term strategic partnerships, cause-related marketing, employee fundraising and through providing access to their operational infrastructures, social media channels and customers as prospective supporters. In this blog, I’m providing a round-up of how various retailers have responded to the challenge presented by Covid 19 with significant cash donations (if only these could be gift-aided!), repurposing operations, strengthening relationships with food banks, and offering special deals to NHS workers and reserved hours for vulnerable groups. I'll be updating this blog as other initiatives hit my radar. Business as unusual fuels creative solutions https://twitter.com/JTCHANGINGBIZ/status/1241315848633167874 In a novel twist of repurposing people, Morrisons is enlisting the support of 500 charity shop workers from Marie Curie and CLIC Sargent, to help frailer older people and other vulnerable customers in its stores. The supermarket will be paying their wages for 12 weeks. https://twitter.com/AArmstrong_says/status/1241685448281423872 On the other shoe, Kurt Geiger is paying all shop staff so they can volunteer time for Age UK and other causes. Focus on food banks, older people and other high-risk groups https://twitter.com/bmstores/status/1241005323869212672 Each of B&Ms’ 670 stores has been authorised to provide a local food bank with a £1,500 donation, so they can buy essential groceries, cleaning goods and toiletries. Each food bank needs to be a registered charity and one food bank per store is eligible. https://twitter.com/nbrly/status/1242003873545498625 M&S and Lidl have both given £100,000 to Neighbourly, a B Corporation which connects businesses with charities. In addition, M&S also donated £100,000 to the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal. Lidl’s worked with Neighbourly since 2017, and has already donated 5 million meals through its Feed it Back scheme. Holders of an M&S Sparks card can also make further donations each time they shop, by choosing Neighbourly as their preferred choice. https://twitter.com/asda/status/1241365383627583488 Asda is donating £5 million to food charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust to help them support the most vulnerable people. It’s also investing in the logistics and support services that will allow both charities to support families through the crisis, including funding for telephone and online referrals, and food parcel delivering systems for people unable to afford food. It addition, it's supporting the recruitment of 20,000 volunteers for food banks in their networks. The funding will also continue the work of the Fight Hunger Create Change partnership between Asda and the two charities, which is helping tackle the root causes of poverty by providing 800,000 people with access to debt and financial advice over the next year. https://twitter.com/jlandpartners/status/1242045977843859456 John Lewis has launched a £1m Community Support Fund that will be available to communities across the UK. In addition, immediate donations of £75,000 have been given to Age UK, FareShare, the Trussell Trust, GroceryAid and RetailTrust.   https://twitter.com/AldiUK/status/1239845637526609921 Aldi took to Facebook and Twitter to announce that it was making a £250k donation to Age UK, as a way to support vulnerable customers in its communities. It’s also donated an extra £100,000 to long-term partner, Teenage Cancer Trust.   https://twitter.com/ChitkwesuManetu/status/1241412419773239300 Co-op has pledged to donate £1.5m of food to FareShare, that will be shared amongst its regional centres across the UK.   https://twitter.com/icelandrichard/status/1242553562963443712 Iceland has donated £150k Age UK’s Coronavirus Emergency Appeal Richard Walker, managing director tweeted: “We're encouraging other businesses to support @age_uk in reaching its £10m target.” Dedicated shopping hours - nice idea, but there's a downside https://twitter.com/RebeccaSmithers/status/1240627367317393409 Sainsbury’s is among many retailers that have launched reserved shopping slots for people at high risk and NHS workers, though some reports suggest early bird shoppers have been met by empty shelves and crowded aisles, due to replenishment failings and stock-pilers. Whilst I commend the sentiment behind such moves, many vulnerable people have been advised to stay at home for 12 weeks, meaning friends, neighbours and volunteer groups will ultimately need to help and organise their shopping for them.   Pennies makes an online plea https://twitter.com/pennies_orguk/status/1242845137333559296 Mindful of the national lock-down forcing many retailers to focus operations online in response to coronavirus, Pennies, “the digital upgrade of the traditional charity box”, has sprung into action. It’s asking retailers to add Pennies to their checkout, thus giving customers the option to add a few pennies to their online purchase for charity. It suggests that companies might want to consider choosing to support funds set up in direct response to the virus, like the Coronavirus Appeal run by the National Emergencies Trust and British Red Cross   Government helps supermarkets target deliveries to vulnerable shoppers https://twitter.com/whatbutlersaw/status/1242898264132894723 "Supermarkets are being given access to a government database to help prioritise food deliveries for elderly and vulnerable shoppers who have been ordered to stay at home under the government’s coronavirus crackdown, wrote Sarah Butler, a journalist at The Guardian specialising in retail and ethical business. "With all the major grocers’ online delivery slots booked up weeks in advance, getting food to those self-isolating was top priority in a call between industry bosses and the environment secretary, George Eustice, on Tuesday.", she continued.   When online goes off the rails https://twitter.com/susannareid100/status/1242728838498574336 Even before the Government announced stricter social distancing measures, online delivery had the opportunity to help save the day and reduce the need for people to go out. However, I am sure many looking to stuff their bunkers soon lost patience at being 8733rd in the queue and dashed out to see what they could get at their nearest bricks and mortar stores. Problem is, as well as CSR heroes, as more and more people were forced to visit the supermarkets, the ensuing chaos may cause them to become super-spreaders. Only time will tell. Get social purpose right, or social media will shape it for you Of course, people expect retailers to act responsibly, even at the best of times, and soon call them out on social media if they're caught behaving badly. https://twitter.com/virgosam70/status/1242831841645690882 https://twitter.com/amateuradam/status/1241643188835713025 https://twitter.com/JTCHANGINGBIZ/status/1241719876395417600 But customers must act responsibly too Though this crisis has brought out the best in many people, a focus on self-preservation has come to the fore for some. Scenes at many stores of people grappling over toilet paper and pasta reminded me of tyrannical seagulls dive-bombing for chips on Torquay's pier. https://twitter.com/BabyDragon5067/status/1241019255258300417 https://twitter.com/SadlyCatless/status/1242164947188101121   So do put that extra bog roll down, won’t you? We have everything to loos.     John Thompson is a fundraising consultant at Changing Business  

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