Month: November 2021

VIRA Values: Building a Culture Connected by Care

VIRA Values: Building a Culture Connected by Care

In May 2021, VIRA leadership held a townhall meeting and introduced a new take on our organizational values.

These tenets not only define how we show up—for each other, for our customers, for our vendors and partners, and in the community at large—they also drive our business decisions, our operations, and our culture. They give focus to our vision and provide direction for our mission.

ALL. TOGETHER. NOW.

With our organization, our partners, and our clients aligned around our shared ideals, VIRA is poised to reshape the way brands and consumers engage. Working together, sharing our knowledge and insight, we can build real, meaningful connections that succeed.
We’re proud to share our values with you, and we look forward to bringing them to life in our work and relationships.

VIBRANT

First, we are VIBRANT. We believe a healthy mindset fosters healthy interactions and a healthy work environment—and that all leads to a thriving, sustainable, profitable business. Healthy self, healthy workplace, healthy business. It’s all connected, and it starts within each of us.

INTENTIONAL

We are INTENTIONAL. We think, speak, and act with purpose. When it comes to projects, we envision the results we want, anticipate challenges, make a plan, and move forward. Everyone at VIRA is empowered to make decisions. At the same time, we recognize that our choices have consequences. So, we consider their impact and choose thoughtfully.

RESPECTFUL

We are RESPECTFUL. We recognize that everyone is on their own journey. So, we meet people wherever they are, and we treat them as we want to be treated.

AGILE

Finally, we are AGILE. We’re always looking for a new way, a different way, or a better way to bring a client’s vision to life. We take time to understand a problem, gather information, explore possibilities, and test our ideas. We embrace the unknown, pivot quickly, and never settle.

VIBRANT. INTENTIONAL. RESPECTFUL. AGILE.

These values are the starting point for everything we do—from partnering with clients to recruiting and recognition. When you engage with VIRA, you can expect us to live out these values every day, on every project, and with every interaction.

by leslie

Into The Dark

Into The Dark

Dark stores offer a flexible and promising future for retail.

If there’s a takeaway from current logistics and shipping conditions, it’s that fully relying on the supply chain for online orders can often leave customers disappointed. This is where the “dark store” comes into play.

Embraced by Walmart, Albertson’s, Kroger, Stop & Shop, and Whole Foods, dark stores—or micro-fulfillment centers—may resemble typical grocery stores but are designed to fulfill customers’ orders without in-person engagement. And these warehouse-like spaces with their longer aisles, lack of checkout stations, and curbside pick-up areas are predicted to grow exponentially in the coming years.

Amazon.com’s first all-dark whole foods shop in Brooklyn, New York, has been so successful, there was a waiting list for new customer fulfillment upon its opening in the fall of 2020.

The company followed up with other dark outlets in cities such as Baltimore and San Francisco, and other retailers quickly followed suit.Even as some dark stores have returned to normal operations, the model’s advantages remain intriguing for retailers. Because micro-fulfillment centers are often smaller, they can be placed closer to customers’ homes than a larger warehouse. Analysts have also determined that the cost of delivering groceries from micro-fulfillment dark stores is two times lower than from a more centralized warehouse.

With no food bars, no checkout lines, and no in-store dining, dark stores also offer more space for products.

Retailers can tailor items in a dark store by what sells best in a specific region, allowing for adequate fulfillment by local demand. Data-driven forecasts can help optimize floorplans for easy picking, and an integrated workforce optimization system can help schedule staff when they are needed most.

At Vira Insight, we have developed many fixtures and solutions that dark stores of all types can implement for better efficiency. From our metal racks and gondola shelving to the back of house office furnishings that are the un-thanked but necessary fixtures that operate businesses, we know what your dark store needs.

By taking into close consideration what product is going where, our solutions help you meet the standards you set for your company. Built around the dimensions of a single commonly used product, our bread racks, for example, enclose bakery goods on all sides except the top. That way, fragile loaves are easy to access while being kept from damage. So, whether you prioritize on time delivery, quality, or freshness, we got you covered.

Meeting the demands of today’s consumer means perfecting the infrastructure and process of shopping on all fronts. A customer picking up orders from a dark store can announce their arrival via a tracking app, allowing workers to plan fulfillment in real-time. But perhaps the most significant technological advance for dark stores is the integration of robotics. The use of robot picking provides for a fast, accurate, and affordable selection of goods in a smaller footprint while adhering to the social distancing rules of the pandemic.

As more stores join the dark revolution, groceries may explore a hybrid model, where a mix of dark and non-dark retail gives an omnichannel approach to rapid product fulfillment. As online and offline shopping meld, consumers will have more flexibility in their shopping experience than ever before, leading to greater profitability for the dark stores of the future.

Is your company exploring the bright future that dark stores may have for your retail locations? Contact us today to explore what solutions may be right for you.

by leslie

How to make work, work!

How to make work, work!

The post-pandemic evolution of the office has something for everyone.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the modern office was renowned for open, collaborative workspaces and fun-filled perks, including coffee bars, snack areas, and pool tables. But the post-Covid landscape offers a very different view of what defines a successful workplace.

As workers balance remote schedules with a return to headquarters, no longer is a ping-pong table an essential ingredient to engage employees. Instead, the new thoughtful and purposeful office offers a little more function along with the fun. Flexible, modern offices may value privacy more than ever before while still allowing workers to work the way that they feel the most comfortable.

Renowned for designing and manufacturing solutions for any built environment, vira insights was poised to pivot as we designed the offices of the future.

Accelerating our emphasis on supplying retailers and offices with custom-built solutions, we began at the source—our own office in Lewisville.

The newly designed 350,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing center VIRA unveiled in May of 2021 has already proved to be a successful template we can look towards as we deliver interior environments that can adapt to changing worker needs. The elbow-to-elbow seating of the past may be reconfigured to house fewer people in the same space, but it turns out this one-size-does-not-fit-all approach is better for workers and employers than previously imagined.

Says company CEO Jeff Jones in an interview from Dallas Innovates:

“We believe a space that is custom-designed for a business, its employees and its customers lead to performance. Our own office is proof: After returning our employees to a redesigned, safe environment, we have seen more productivity, more sales closings, more deadlines hit on time, and greater satisfaction among our customers. Your space truly makes a difference in how your business performs.”

Companies are leaning into adaptable configurations that can be combined and shifted in an array of combinations. Colleagues can then gather for meetings or give each other personal space for more intense collaboration. Walls can be moved, and see-through sneeze guards or laminated gallery panels will provide a barrier against germs and noise while still allowing employees to see and hear one another. Outdoor gathering spaces are another trend we’ll see more of in the coming years.

The use of a rotating schedule among workers allows greater distance between desks, and “hot desks”—a workspace that lacks a permanent occupant—can serve as a multi-use area between stints of at-home work. Allowing more than one worker to use a desk (while sanitizing in-between visits) also helps optimize space while accommodating a workforce that prefers to split their time between home and office.

Now-empty offices can be transformed into conference rooms, private meeting rooms, or space for guest speakers or special presentations. For businesses who have downsized, renting out unused square footage to freelancers or independent remote workers is a solution that allows maximum monetization. But it is perhaps the return of privacy that is the most significant—and positive—change in modern office design.

Debuting this year, vira’s sleek “silos” give workers an enclosed mini office complete with chic, modern seating and a built-in desk.

With the ability to install a standalone unit or utilize multiple “Silos” in a row, this customizable solution will help give employees a private enclave to ideate and create.

Through fulfilling the evolving needs of future workers, VIRA is uniquely poised to redesign spaces in the smartest and safest ways. With a newly launched materials sourcing and design services division dedicated to redesigning office spaces, our future—and the future of the built environments we create—looks bright. Untapped opportunities can become clever solutions for working in a post-pandemic world.

by leslie

Retail Theft Is Rising: Here’s What You Need To Know Now About Loss Prevention

Retail Theft Is Rising: Here’s What You Need To Know Now About Loss Prevention

If your business experienced a significant uptick in retail theft during the pandemic, you’re not alone.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 75 percent of companies reported an increase in Organized Retail Crime (ORC) in the past year.

While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem, research shows that an increase in ORC will continue for the foreseeable future. Reacting to this problem after retail theft has occurred is costly, time-consuming, and ineffective. That’s why prevention is key.

To get ahead of this problem, it’s important to understand why ORC is increasing, what it looks like today, and which loss prevention techniques are most effective. At VIRA Insight, we have over two decades of experience outfitting retail spaces with sleek, effective, customizable loss prevention solutions.

Our loss prevention systems are effective because they are informed by research and experience. Today, we want to share what we’ve learned about retail theft with you so that you can make smart decisions to protect your business. Here’s what you should know now about loss prevention:

RETAIL THEFT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM

According to the NRF, retailers lose an average of $719,548 for every $1 billion in sales to ORC. Even before the pandemic made this problem worse, 22 of the largest retailers reported losing $61.7 billion due to theft, fraud, and other retail shrinkage in just one year (2019).

Once retail theft occurs, recovering financial loss is extremely difficult. In fact, only 2.9 percent of all retail theft losses are recovered by retailers, resulting in massive shrinkage. This is why, when it comes to saving your business money, retail theft prevention is key.

WHY RETAIL THEFT INCREASED DURING THE PANDEMIC

During the COVID-19 pandemic the nature of retail theft changed as it increased. Widespread financial hardship led to an increase in necessity-driven theft. As shoppers became more motivated by need, theft transitioned from targeting expensive items like electronics to shoplifting essential items like food, products for infants, and household commodities. Unsurprisingly, essential retailers were hit particularly hard, with shoplifting in that sector increasing by 8.6 percent.

Last year it was necessary for retailers to adapt their businesses to comply with COVID-19 protocols. But in many cases, the same protocols that were designed to keep customers safe also enabled thieves. The prevalence of masks allowed for more anonymity from security camera footage and staff. Additionally, pandemic protocols occupied staff attention, making them less likely to focus on theft prevention.

AS COVID-19 EASES, RETAIL THEFT WILL NOT

During the pandemic, many retailers shifted to or increased the use of self-checkout stations. Having invested in that technology and infrastructure, those retailers are expected to continue to rely on contact-free checkout post-pandemic.

While self-checkout has many advantages, it also results in greater levels of loss. According to a 2018 Efficient Consumer Response survey, retailers with self-checkout report losses from 33 percent to 147 percent higher than stores with fixed self-checkout.

Even as mask use becomes less ubiquitous and the economy and job market recover, higher levels of retail theft are expected to remain. Potential continued boldness from shoplifters may continue even as they shift back to targeting more expensive products like designer items, high-end beauty products, and electronics.

HOW TO PROTECT AGAINST RETAIL THEFT

Investing in preemptive measures to prevent retail theft up front is key. At VIRA Insight, we offer a variety of flexible, customizable solutions designed to maximize protection against ORC. From anti-sweep hooks and lockboxes to full security cases, our Fortress series systems can be tailored to suit your business’ specific needs, helping you stop retail thefts and related financial losses before they happen.

by leslie