Supply chain of the future: impact of the pandemic and the future prospect of food & grocery business in Singapore

• Main Author: Tay, Hui Hui
• Other Authors: Teo Chee Chong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Business::General; Engineering::Civil engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157328
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended consumers’ daily lives and abruptly disrupted the operations of many businesses – including delivery service providers. Faced with restrictions such as the lockdowns and the supply/demand shocks from the pandemic, it has changed consumers’ behavior where they are purchasing more products and services online. The surge in online shopping has also increased the frequency of home deliveries, leading to manpower shortages as employees face the strict requirements of a having valid vaccination status before they are allowed to work. Delivery service providers must adapt to the new environment and ensure the reliability of their services as these new challenges emerge, or risk getting eliminated. This research paper aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the food and grocery industries on how businesses have evolved due to the pandemic as well as to discuss the industry’s future prospects. To substantiate our findings, interviews were conducted with industry professionals of relevant experience to gain insights into their perspective of how COVID-19 has transformed the industry, and surveys were also conducted on consumers’ behavior to study the impact and the possible areas of improvement for businesses. The study has shown that the pandemic had accelerated the uptake of technologies, unlock new opportunities and untapped revenue streams. Thus, this paper proposes viable strategies for the food and grocery delivery service providers to capitalize on emerging opportunities and strengthen their effectiveness against mitigating vulnerabilities in view of dealing with future disruptions.