ST.

JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

(AUTONOMOUS)
BRIGADE ROAD, BANGALORE, 560047

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
ARTICLE REVIEW

SUBMITTED BY
ANU S VARGHESE
MCOM IB
20SJCCMIB006
Article 1

Food supply chains and covid-19

Summary

The significance of Covid-19 has brought significant impact on supply chains from primary
production to overall demand bringing a sudden change in its demand mix. The COVID-19
pandemic put unexpected strains on food systems, posing a slew of immediate challenges. What
is remarkable, however, is the speed with which supply chain actors have been able to reorganize
themselves to ensure continued food availability, at least in the developed world. Some
bottlenecks remain, and new disruptions may emerge as COVID-19 spreads. The quick response
of food supply chains has highlighted the importance of an open and predictable international
trading environment that allows firms to tap into new sources of supply when existing sources
are compromised. Policymakers have also, for the most part, avoided the mistakes made during
the food crisis. COVID-19 has caused disruptions in the food processing industries, which have
been impacted by social distancing rules, labour shortages owing to illness, and lockdown
procedures to contain the virus's spread. In enclosed locations, such as packaging plants for fruits
and vegetables or meat processing facilities, appropriate social distancing measures may
compromise operational efficiency, and adequate staff protections are required. Transport and
logistical bottlenecks have hampered the transportation of goods along supply networks. While
the impacts of the pandemic on food chains are still unfolding, several lessons have emerged.
Open and predictable markets have been critical in order to smooth distribution of food along
supply chains and to ensure it can move to where it is needed. Diversified sources of supply have
allowed firms along the food chain to adapt rapidly when specific input sources were
compromised by transport or logistics disruptions. Finally, meeting the needs of vulnerable
groups requires attention to food access, such as by ensuring targeted, flexible safety nets.
Article 2

Reimagining food retail in Asia after covid-19

Summary

As the Coronavirus spread across the globe, consumers hope the businesses would feed them
healthy. When talking about the short term for food retailers, their main motive is to safeguard
the health of the employees and consumers, maintain business continuity, set up manage centers
to run the overall business amid the covid-19 crisis.

While there are local differences, consumers across countries appear to care more about in-store
safety and to prefer necessities that are locally sourced than it was before the covid-1. In order to
address these consumer shifts retailers have a clear role to play by rethinking their offerings
making it healthier such as ready-to-eat or cooked items with a smaller environment footprint.
To meet the rising expectation of consumers, the companies should rethink about the customer’s
journey both in-store, via delivery. The internet gives vast access to consumers regarding food,
health issues. To respond to the current crisis and meet future ones, food retailers need to use
technology in new and different ways to scale up their e-commerce channels and their capacity
for home delivery. At the same time, social media enables consumers to share and document
their views on the quality and safety of food product, using nothing but the phone where anyone
could just browse to expose issues in case if something arises. Retailers should determine which
stores are being affected disproportionally by customers shifting to other primary stores.
Targeted marketing may help bring these customers back, as would retailers finding a way to
better communicate the efforts they are taking to support customers and their societies more
broadly, so consumers will be likelier to come back. Once the retailers have reimagined the
business during the crisis, they will be better equipped in providing employment opportunities to
employees who are currently out of work, reshape their ecosystem to operate in the new normal.