Sustainability of Food Placement in Retailing during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This work aims to define the impact of different indicators on the sustainability of food placement in the retail sector, during periods of crisis and emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. An empirical survey conducted in the Western Balkans (WB) region showed that indicators such as developed infrastructure, consistency, and transparency of the supply chain, skilled workers, costs, food safety, food prices, energy consumption, and changes in consumer needs are statistically significant since they affect the sustainability of food placement in the retail sector. As food placement and the retail sector itself are inseparable from other participants in the food supply chain (FSC), an analysis was conducted at the level of all FSC sectors. The results showed some deviations viewed individually in the sectors of production, physical distribution, wholesale, and retail, and in selected Western Balkan countries. Based on the results obtained, the sustainability model of food placement in the retail sector has been defined. The model will serve as the basis for defining the set of measures and incentives that competent institutions and FSC management need to undertake, to minimize the impact of indicators that endanger sustainability. The originality of the study lies in the fact that it fills the research gap that exists in this subject matter in academic research and studies in the WB region. In addition, some indicators important for food placement have been precisely isolated, with the definition of the intensity of their impact, observed overall at the level of the entire FSC as well as by individual sectors. Guidelines and suggestions for future research are listed in the paper.

Quality and selling price dependent sustainable perishable inventory policy: Lessons from Covid-19 pandemic

“… The lockdown situation caused due to pandemic in the early 2020s caused price uncertainty wheat and maize, creating food insecurity (“COVID-19 Pandemic–Impact on Food and Agriculture,” ( 2019 ); Id and Khatun 2021 ). The lockdown scenario has resulted in the closing of hotels, restaurants, and public ceremonies (Brinca et al 2020 ; Hobbs 2020 ; Končar et al 2021 ), causing a fall in demand for foods items that have affected the income of the farmers, who were the primary producers. Further, the travel restriction during the pandemic has prevented the farmers from getting into the open market, driving them towards lower crop productivity.…”

Food Consumption Patterns in Romania during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Furthermore, a limited number of studies have been carried out in the South-Eastern European region [7][8][9] regarding the changes in consumption habits associated with the pandemic. In Romania, focusing on a precise territory, namely, Suceava, Butu et al [4] studied consumers' behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding fresh vegetables from local growers, finding that although the COVID-19 crisis significantly changed the buying behavior of fresh products directly from local producers, it left the selection method of fresh vegetables unchanged.…”

“…All these led to changes in the everyday buying behavior of the majority of consumers, as well as in the lifestyle and eating habits in Romania [4][5][6] and in other countries from the South-Eastern European region [7][8][9]. To be able to take correct actions and adopt appropriate policy measures, we must understand how people changed their food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to the pre-pandemic period, as pointed by Jansen et al [10].…”

Cause-Related Marketing and Ethnocentrism: The Moderating Effects of Geographic Scope and Perceived Economic Threat

“…As initially noted by Rosenblatt [27], whenever countries consider themselves under attack or threatened by outsiders, ethnocentric feelings increase. Recent examples of increased ethnocentrism have been noted in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008 [28] as well as during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak [26,[29][30][31]. As these considered threats by outsiders increase (e.g., a financial crisis, a pandemic, climate change) so does consumer ethnocentrism.…”