Improving Retail Service Performance in Tough Times: A Focus on the Critical Success Factors in Italy

The pandemic and resulting digital pressures have put tremendous pressure on stores and their employees, leading to critical situations for retail managers. The objective of this study is to analyze the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that have enabled retail organizations to survive and thrive during the pandemic. The concept of CSFs was first introduced by Daniel (1961) and later refined and discussed in detail by Rockart (1979). However, to date, few studies have examined CFS in the context of retail (Iamratanakul, 2019). According to Rockart, CSFs are the key variables that must be managed appropriately for the organization to survive. As the pandemic has reshaped the retail context, it is useful to apply such a model to see which factors have contributed most to the successful survival and rebirth of retail organizations, as these factors are likely to form the basis for development in the years to come.