Marketing

Social distancing births marketing opp for retailers, restaurants

Photo provided.

May 27, 2020

Mandated social distancing requirements during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has ignited an innovative marketing strategy for restaurants and clothing designers.

It's happening in Lithuania and gaining attention from diners, according to a New York Post report.

The restaurants have placed mannequins at empty tables being used to space diners out within dining rooms and now the mannequins are wearing local designer clothing and accessories.

"Empty tables inside our restaurant look rather odd, and we don’t have any way to remove them," said Bernie Ter Braak, owner of the Cosy restaurant, in a press release. Ter Braak began the trend with local designer Julija Janus, according to the news report.

More than 60 mannequins are wearing clothes from 19 boutiques in dozens of restaurants and cafés in the city’s Old Town Glass Quarter, according to the release.