The power of demand chain management in supply: A focus on perishable items in Bangladesh during COVID-19

Abstract

Much has been discussed about the resilience factors of supply chain management of trade organizations after the global pandemic. We have observed how each and every step of supply chain management is very critical for the resilience of businesses globally, especially in healthcare and food recently. This article focuses on illustrating the benefit of retailer and customer interaction, and the downstream supply chain, for perishable items during the global pandemic. Respondent interviews were captured and analyzed from mobile retailers and customers involved in the buying and selling of perishable items. We find that mobile retail sales have grown when the retailer or 3PL is operating with the demand-side customers in mind during the global pandemic – a theory referred to as demand chain management. Customers purchase perishable items from mobile retailer entrances, while accounting for social distancing, while the retailers are able to sell their products to the customer through this channel during the crisis.