UK retailers, already struggling to make ends meet during the consumer downturn, now face an added financial burden as they recover from the aftermath of recent riots. Analysts estimate that the violence has cost British retailers over £80 million. Fashion and technology stores like H&M, Debenham’s, Curry’s and Dixons were particular targets of looters. Sony’s distribution centre in Enfield, North London, was was set ablaze.

We’ve been watching the situation unfold, both from our office in South London and online in social media. One of the things that strikes us is the way retailers have responded. Apple stores emptied their show floors; Debenhams closed shop; mobile phone retailers put up signs saying “all stock and money removed”.

While many retailers will tragically never open their shops again, others will survive, largely because they have the budgets and the infrastructure to deal with crises like these. As Londoners, we couldn’t help but reflect on what it all means for UK retailers:

Disaster preparation. Sounds textbook, but it’s also very real. Without a system in place to deal with emergencies, companies could spend huge amounts of time and money recovering – if they recover at all. Having a solid structure of response is essential to making a swift and easy rebound with as few expenses as possible. Think of a calling tree: if everyone knows in advance who they are in charge of notifying in the event of an emergency, you could get a message across to the entire company from top to bottom within a matter of hours.

Inventory is all part of a company’s assets. When inventory is stolen, this immediately decreases a company’s net worth – not good. Yes, many companies have insurance, but the timetable for claims might not be pretty. Responding quickly to remove inventory and cash from stores – as Apple and mobile phone retailers did – effectively stabilised the damage to their company.

Analyzing social data after the fact is critical. What could your company have done better? Modify disaster plans accordingly and be better prepared the next time it’s needed (unfortunately, disaster like these aren’t a one-time phenomenon).

Realtime data during a disaster can help you understand what your customers are feeling. It can give you insights into what they’re looking for from your company during times of stress. It’s important to keep in mind that the way you respond could affect whether customers stay with you when it is all over.

London is our home, and it was tragic witnessing these terrible events take place in our wonderful city. Our thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected, both retailers and citizens. And our thanks goes to all of the people who have helped pick up the pieces and put us back together again.