Countering the Pandemic Effect: Best Laid Plans by Retail Giants

While the retail sector worldwide has been hit hard, large industry players are stepping up to the challenge, coming forward and helping the retail community, setting examples for smaller business to follow…

COVID-19 has had a very immediate and dramatic impact on the global economy, plunging the world into a recession. And the global retail industry is not immune from the pandemic. With emotional and health considerations taking centerstage and the world market and consumer behaviour under threat, economic uncertainty has become the standard of the day. And while the retail sector worldwide has been hit hard, industry leaders are stepping up to the challenge, coming forward and helping the retail community, setting examples for smaller business to follow.

Here is what some of the larger players are doing to counter the Coronavirus challenge in the Indian context…

Order Online

Walmart India, which operates in the cash-and-carry format, announced that it is encouraging its members to buy online to avoid a rush on the streets amid rise of Coronavirus cases in the country. The company is witnessing an increase in the number of orders placed through its website and app and have added more capacity to serve these orders.

However, Walmart, like other retailers, is also facing challenges in getting sufficient supplies of the goods due to production shortages from the manufacturers and continued bottleneck in logistics and transportation due to lockdown. It is working closely with its suppliers and with the local authorities to minimse and address these challenges. Besides, the company is also facing challenges in terms of shortage of manpower to operate a store.