Most high-end department stores are expecting foot traffic declines in the high-double digits when they reopen their doors, particularly in cities dependent on tourist shoppers. In Paris, Nicolas Houzé, the Galeries Lafayette chief executive, said that he does not expect to see a return to normal levels of business until the end of 2021, adding that it had lost "hundreds of millions" of euros worth of expected sales.

But the expectation is that those shoppers who do return in the coming months will be far more likely to buy. Simply put, retailers need to be selling more goods to fewer shoppers. And that means rolling out the red carpet.

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