In this issue

At a time when the Covid-19 scourge continues its rampage
unabated, consumers have certain expectations from the
food industry: Access to an abundance of safe, affordable,
healthy food, neatly merchandised in clean stores, is an
expectation we all have, much like running water, electricity
and reliable internet. So when something happens to upset
the rhythm of our lives, we want a quick return to the normal
and the way things were.
But deÀ ning normal is extremely challenging because
COVID-19 is still upon us, among us. Shopper expectations
are still being reset in potentially dramatic ways. For
example, COVID-19 brought a new era of SKU rationalization
and reduced hours? And what role will prepared foods and
self-serve departments play in food retailing’s future?
At this point, we just don’t know what’s on the other
side of the COVID-19 nightmare. But there are a couple of
things we can be certain about, though: There will be no
return to normal for retailers. Retail is in a constant state of
change and advancement and readjustment to customers’
expectations. Sometimes those expectations are set by a
forward-looking competitor that sees what others don’t and
gets there À rst to serve customers in new ways. Other times,
as in the current situation, an external force resets shopper
expectations.

FSSAI guidelines on Covid-19 to be the Rosetta Stone for Food Business Operators in the post lockdown phase

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India recently came up with a guidance note titled “Food Hygiene and Safety Guidelines for Food Businesses during Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic. The guidelines cover the best practices to be followed by food handlers for maintain high standards of personal hygiene, safe food practices, implementation of GHP and GMP practices as per Schedule 4 of FSS Act as well as for ensuring the necessary protocols of social distancing.

6 mins

Impact Of Lockdown On The FMCG Industry: Disruption In Supply Chain And Labour Force

The coronavirus lockdown has forced FMCG companies to step out of their comfort zones, as manpower shortage and shutting down of stores has brought the traditional distribution mechanism to a grinding halt.

3 mins

Adopting Digital Practices: How SMEs in Food Sector can succeed by taking their businesses online in the post-COVID world

SMEs have remained a critical part of India’s growth engine and their role will be extremely crucial in the post-COVID-world. However, the bigger question now is: how will they survive the pandemic?

3 mins

Decoding Suraksha Stores: The government's retail initiative to fight Coronavirus

Like many other different sectors of our economy, the food retail supply chain has also been impacted by the current lockdown though the food sector happens to be one of the few industries to remain relatively unscathed by the on-going lockdown.

2 mins

How To Keep The Morale Of Retail Personnel Buoyed Up In Times Of Covid-19

In tough times like these, it is imperative for all business owners to be compassionate and empathetic towards their staff and employees. Timely salary pay-outs to staff members and an advance payment of wages to the workers in unorganised setups will go a long way in securing their livelihoods and ensuring their loyalty in the long run.

3 mins

Roundtable: Keeping the Food Business Ticking in the Shadow of the Virus and the Way Ahead

Progressive Grocer brings you the thoughts and views of leading players in Indian food retail industry on what these brands are doing to pull together their operations out of the shadows of the coronavirus pandemic and their plans and strategies to navigate the complexities brought about by the ongoing lockdown and the onerous shifts in the industry and consumer landscape.

10+ mins

Spurt in food demand and sales during the lockdown keeps the ticker up for food retailers and brands

At a time when there are very few fundamental growth acceleration stories in any industry other than the fast-gaining-notice bankruptcy industry, the food sector has been the one to buck this downward slide and has in fact seen the demand for many food categories shoot up in the wake of the Covid crisis.

10+ mins

MINTEL: COVID-19's impact on food and drink markets in Southeast Asia

In a new research from Mintel, the experts talk of what consumers want and why, revealing the changes in consumer sentiment and behaviour surrounding food and drink categories as a result of the spread of COVID-19 across Southeast Asia.

2 mins

Read all stories from Progressive Grocer

Progressive Grocer Magazine Description:

PROGRESSIVE GROCER has been the voice of the food retail industry for over 80 years in the USA. Serving a wide audience in the Indian market, Progressive Grocer India's readers are top management at headquarters and top decision makers at store level. By anticipating, reporting and interpreting important data and trends, PROGRESSIVE GROCER fulfils its mission of identifying and highlighting insights and opportunity for leading grocery retailers, thereby accelerating brands and sales success for leading manufacturers