Critical Evaluation of Waitrose Response During the Pandemic

This report evaluates the response of Waitrose, a UK-based supermarket, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the challenges faced by the company, their strategies to execute during the pandemic, and suggests new ideas for success. The report also evaluates the effectiveness of the company's response and suggests ideas for continuing operations.

Critical evaluation of
Waitrose response
during the pandemic

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Company overview : ..................................................................................................................3
The challenges the company faced and tge strategies they used to execute to the covid : .......4
New ideas and suggestion that can be executed in company to have success: .........................4
Evaluate how effectively the chosen company act to the pandemic and start to operate: .......4
Suggest some ideas which can be helpful in continuing the operations : .................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
The covid 19 pandemic has tend to human life global and presents an unpredicted loss
on human life as this cause a huge loss on living standard of the persons also causes a loss of
jobs. The pandemic has been affecting the whole food system and has tend to bare its fragility.
According to the guidelines of the covid the borders was closed for countries and regions and
confinement steps have been taken to secure people from getting infected (Pullman, and Wu,
2021.). The pandemic has declined jobs and placed millions of livelihoods at risk. Adhering
to workplace safety and health practices and ensuring access to decent work and the safety of
labour rights in all industries will be important in addressing the human dimensions of the
crises. The report will follow a company waitrose it is UK based company which deals as a
British super market which was founded in 1904 as waite, rose and taylor later shortened as
waitrose. It is partnership firm which is found by the partners named John lewis and partners.
The headquarter of the company is in UK London. The company provides groceries and other
house hold goods. The report will cover the impact of covid 19 on their skills to deliver services
and the requirements to understand how to regularise after the pandemic. After it will justify
the company mission and goals along with the company culture. The challenges the company
faced and the policies they used to implement to the pandemic.
MAIN BODY
The covid 19 has outcome in severe economic and social effects around the world. The
ongoing crises and mitigation measures also have implications for mental sickness. Many people
with mental sickness conditions are experiencing a deterioration of their health status.
Company overview :
Waitrose and partners , it is a British company which was founded in 1904 by waitrose
and the partners. The company deals in groceries and other household goods. Its head office is
in Bracknell and Victoria England. The company has 332 shops across the UK. They also export
goods to 52 nations and have locations in the middle east ( Lawes, 2022). the company has
facing some issues after some time john lewis has collaborated with the company and invested
some capital of the company in covid waitrose provides services in market also they come up
with good spirit of marketing and new objectives of making good profit and brand value in
market. During pandemic company is still working in good position as they are dealing in

essentials which is consumed on daily basis. But as the pandemic impacts negatively on all
business the company waitrose also faced a several issues, also they have faced an issue in
delivering goods to people. Previously company works 40 % online but after covid company
expand business online which Is 60 % business through online platform.
Organisational structure of the company -
Waitrose shops and supermarkets are the shops which is presented in every location of
the market. The company is well known in UK as well as it has good market share. The
company is grown up by the 47 % of profits. The company follows the organisational structure
is
Mission of the company -
The mission statement of the waitrose, is that the happiness of all its members ,via their
value while and satisfying employment in a successful business. Due to this partnership is
owned in trust for its members, they share the responsibility of ownership as well as its rewards
are as profits, knowledge and power (Khamis, 2021.).
organisational strategy -
The strategy of the waitrose, is to deliver the unique product that is opposite from
another. They concentrate on promotions and giving value to members of its loyalty policy
rather than reducing its cost.
company culture -
The workplace culture of waitrose is wonderful. The management team are very
respectful and accommodation. The staff are all very involved people that share the similar goal
of operating for a reputable company and making the happiness and well being a priority. The
company believes in satisfying the customers.
The challenges the company faced and the strategies they used to execute to the covid :
While global countries are facing pandemic as well as people are restricted to go out of
the houses along with that companies and business have also gone with the big loss and many
of the company have winded up because of this pandemic.
 Competition with another retailers – this is being analysed that while covid the
company has faced a complexity in competing with another brands and another
supermarket company.

 Supply chain disruption - the whole retail sector is concerned about the disruption in
their supply chain. With the virus spreading exponentially around the globe, factories
that produce the goods are often close or working at reduced capacity.
Waitrose, must do a better analysis of their analysis of their supplier ans users habits,
in order to get a good understanding and add insightful data to up coming approach their
uncertainty management. Planning and communicating with the buyers using online platforms
for the company. Waitrose use data in order to save costs the importance of partnership are one
of the factors online tools must be prioritize (Gowing, 2018.).
New ideas and suggestion that can be executed in company to have success:
Here are some ideas which can be implement in company to cope up with the covid
effects. Some ideas are listed in below -
 Setting some safety steps can be a good idea for company. Waitrose company can keep
the norms or no mask no entry and sanitize items in company to increase the sales it
also take care of people health (Pendleton, Derbyshire, and Hodgkinson, 2021).
 wiatrose can expand business through offering goods on exclusive discount prices and
introducing new item along with variability in which they didn't deal previously. As the
can launched their own brand of clothing they also can introduce night wear for female
and kids as they get quickly attract towards the clothes. Initially they can launch a
clothes in reasonable rates.
 In order to have a success in Wiatrose must constantly upgrade with new ideas and
exclusive discounts offers in the market just as buy one get one free and many more for
customers so that they can buy goods in affordable cost as after covid the buyers are
moving towards the low cost product now many people focus on cost with quality .
Evaluate how effectively the chosen company act to the pandemic and start to operate:
Covid 19 is spreading very quickly in global areas also it creates many challenges for
many people. The company must take some initiative to save people from getting infected from
the pandemic. After the long duration of lock down the company have started the business
again and waitrose , should start using the online platform or go socially to communicate with
the people. They have started a online delivery of the goods and the waitrose has planned to
promote business through online channels like social media pages. The company has begin the
promoting the business and offers in global areas. They have starting providing the sanitized

goods and they have passed all the laws that every employees must be vaccinated and should
wear mask while working hours (Bove, and Benoit, 2020).
Suggest some ideas which can be helpful in continuing the operations :
Here are some ideas that is beneficial for the company are :
 waitrose must go for new variety of goods just as clothing and wearables with good
quality of fabric in reasonable rates.
 They can create a good and attractive offers for buyers so that they can buy a goods on
affordable rate.
 The waitrose can start sanitized and packed products which creates a safety atmosphere
in supermarket (Winegar, 2020).
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from above report that covid is the pandemic that cause a huge loss on
people business and it also effect on people living hood and the people has disturb as their
schedule has totally changed as well as people were working from there homes so this cause a
huge loss on economy and many other things. As been discussed in above report that covid has
challenged the small companies to have a stability in business as well as this cause a negative
impact on small business also on big companies. This has restricted people to moving people.
For retail company this cause huge disruption in supply channel. The pandemic impact on
people job and occupation. Along with that people have started getting infracted and this causes
huge amount of death rate. This pandemic cause a huge value of deaths. The business like retail
company has a faced a big impact on company operations and they have faced a varied kinds of
challenges while running a business which is discussed in above report, also discuss about the
company mission and aims goals.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bove, L.L. and Benoit, S., 2020. Restrict, clean and protect: signaling consumer safety during the
pandemic and beyond. Journal of Service Management.
Gowing, N., 2018. Thinking the Unthinkable: A new imperitive for leadership in the digital age.
John Catt Educational.
Khamis, A., 2021. Smart Mobility: Disruptors. In Smart Mobility (pp. 103-129). Apress,
Berkeley, CA.
Lawes, R., 2022. USING SEMIOTICS IN RETAIL: Leverage Consumer Insight to Engage
Shoppers and Boost Sales. Kogan Page Publishers.
Pendleton, D., Derbyshire, P. and Hodgkinson, C., 2021. The Future of Work. In Work-Life
Matters (pp. 57-74). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Pullman, M. and Wu, Z., 2021. Food Supply Chain Management: Building a Sustainable Future.
Routledge.
Rogan, J., Fürstenberg, F. and Wieland, A., 2022. Shaping the Transition from Linear to Circular
Supply Chains. In Circular Economy Supply Chains: From Chains to Systems. Emerald
Publishing Limited.
Winegar, L.J., 2020. Mirage of Understanding: Challenging the Dominant Perspective in Food
Desert Discourse (Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas).