Contemporary Society in Global World: Supermarket Industry Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the UK supermarket industry, examining change management strategies and how supermarkets meet the requirements of their stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, society, and the government. The first part of the report focuses on how supermarkets like Tesco and ASDA implement changes to satisfy stakeholders, highlighting the importance of community involvement, adapting to consumer trends, and embracing technological advancements. It also addresses the impact of Brexit on the supply chain and the role of CSR activities. The second part of the report explores how supermarkets have responded to the challenge of feeding the nation, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing contingency plans, initiatives by Tesco and ASDA, and strategies to manage panic buying and ensure food supply. The report emphasizes the importance of constant pricing, supplier collaboration, and the involvement of various stakeholders in ensuring food security and stability during times of crisis.

Contemporary society
In
Global world

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PART 1............................................................................................................................................3
Change management within supermarkets for fulfilment of stakeholders requirement.........3
PART 2............................................................................................................................................5
Ways how supermarkets have risen to the challenge of feed the nation................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Supermarket industry is involved in providing food, beverages, household products to
customers in which products are divided into sections. In UK this industry is having high growth
and opportunities in marketplace as new innovations are brought by companies within their
business so this makes the market more rivalry and strong to adapt changes. This report is based
on supermarket industry and aspects of supermarkets in which they meet requirements of their
customers and other stakeholders (Iskin, 2016). Furthermore report includes contribution of
supermarket over enhancing economy of UK. The report enlightens those aspects from which
supermarkets are having major impact on their business. Further this report includes steps taken
by supermarkets within UK so as to deal with this pandemic of corona virus so as to cater their
country.
PART 1
Change management within supermarkets for fulfilment of stakeholders requirement
For every business it is required that customers and other stakeholders are fully satisfied
with business operation and products. It can be said that stakeholders are the key driver of any
business so business are supposed to make such strategies by which all their stakeholder may
have full interest. This will help the business to grow within market at a very effective manner so
as this will be easier for them to receive market edge. Similarly for supermarket industry it is
essential for them to satisfy their stakeholder so as to maintain grip over business for long term
and maintain its competitive edge within market. In order to capture more customer and get
market competitive edge supermarket industry such as Tesco or ASDA, is having so many
strategies in their business by which they implement changes in their business so as to meet
customer’s needs for future years for instance 5 years. By implementing changes in business
super market can meet need of their customer in satisfactory so as to enhance their customer
loyalty and customer footfall. Stakeholders of a supermarket industry include suppliers,
customers, society, government etc. These all factors are collectively known as suppliers, and
they are having prominent impact over a business by which they may get clear path to their
success. With the help of community involvement supermarkets may have higher stakeholder’s

satisfaction as ASDA is second largest supermarket within UK and it is a subsidiary of Walmart
from 1999. ASDA is having high scale operation within UK as the company is having more than
300 stores just around UK and having global positions as well. In recent times it has been seen
that ASDA adopted changes in their business which is to involve community. For this they have
initiated to work with local communities so as to raise money in order to do charity. In UK
competition between supermarkets is very intense; here brands are keeping lowest prices so as to
attract more customers. This has made the consumers less price loyal as they are getting their
product at lower prices within market at some other superstore. This helps the business to take
care of their stakeholders in a prominent manner. For instance consumers are willing to have low
priced goods with good quality (Tidy, Wang and Hall, 2016). So for this if superstore like ASDA
is having involvement with local communities this will enhance expectation of the stakeholders.
As by meeting stakeholders expectations in this way it will boost market image of the company
in immense manner. On the other hand in current emerging trends of changings needs as
consumer buying power has increased so this is a great opportunities for superstores to involve
this changes in their business so as to cater their customer in more effective manner. As current
trend of natural products in this superstores like Tesco and Sainsbury has involved in selling
natural beauty and eatable product in their stores so as to enhance their customer base and meet
their stakeholder’s needs. Secondly in this changing world of digital time it is beneficial for the
company and their stakeholder as well that all the technological changes should be adopted by
businesses such as superstores. In the current technological change superstores like ALDI may
initiate their business online also so as to give more easiness to their customers and contribute to
society as well (Ghosh-Dastidar and et. al., 2017). On the other hand stakeholder includes
suppliers also, so for suppliers change management has introduced by supermarkets in such a
way that it would give high advantages for suppliers. As suppliers can enhance brand awareness
of their brand via supermarkets. On the other side they can capture more customers and make
base of loyal customer which is helpful for them to have increased market sustainability. By this
business may have high improvement scheme for their suppliers and customers as well. When
changes are introduced by business in taking care of their suppliers this will help a super market
business in satisfying needs of their customer as products are received from suppliers only.
When trends and customer’s taste is changed then the foremost impact of this factor is received
by supplier only as they will have to modify or reframe their product in such a manner that it

would fit within needs and taste of end consumers. Furthermore Brexit is having high impact on
business of supermarkets in EU and UK so it is having business impact that no long term
strategies can be made by supermarkets as uncertainty is there within Brexit results. UK imports
40% of their food form EU so due to this Brexit agreement, it is impossible for EU to export
these goods due to government interventions. If Brexit agreement takes place then it will be hard
for supermarkets to attain growth in next five years without any difficulties. In order to deal with
this situation supermarkets are required to establish efficient control over supply chain so as to
tackle this situation as it is unavoidable in nature and for long term sustainability businesses will
have to undertake its effect. At last major stakeholder of a supermarket is their society, for
society businesses like ASDA and ALDI is required to put more efforts on CSR activities so as
to gain market popularity and customer engagement. When businesses are highly involved in
CSR activities then it would be easier for the company to get distinct market edge and
sustainability. As business grow as a trusted entity and by which societal needs can be satisfied
in a very effective way.
So from above discussion it can be concluded that by adopting change strategies
supermarket business is have higher opportunities to grow in market and meet needs of their
entire stakeholders. This is the prominent step which is required to be put by every business so as
to get highest satisfaction of their stakeholders within business to have long term business
growth and success (Brown and et. al., 2018).
PART 2
Ways how supermarkets have risen to the challenge of feed the nation
British supermarket have come up with a new contingency plan which is helpful for the
country to deal in any panic buying by customer due to corona virus outbreak. Within this plan
supermarkets are working with suppliers to stock back items of foods and beverages rather than
focusing on staple products. With the help of this action plan Boris Johnson is trying to control
crowd gathering so as to save people from this pandemic (Marques, Trindade and Santos, 2016).
This plan of action is further explained by a city analyst who was Supply chain director at Tesco.
He explained that corona virus outbreak in UK would bring contingency in population to buy
grocery items in bulk which will lead the supermarkets to have empty shelves and stock out

positions. So this new plan is to cop up with this situation and deliver large quantity of
readymade food and beverage items as compared to staple products. This movement will help
the country to deal with any sort of food crisis and properly execute mission of Feed the nation
movement. In this context supermarkets like Tesco and ASDA are taking initiatives so as to
reduce problems to feed the nation so as to supply readymade food items in every store in a very
frequent manner. Being a responsible retailer Tesco is practising Multiday simulation exercise
which includes mocked up and news flash. For this they have prepared numerous teams which
are actively participating in these activities and helping the nation by giving their responses to
corona virus pandemic. This movement of Tesco is bringing awareness in people about this virus
which is spread in worldwide and hampering economy of every country. UK is having high
impact of corona virus so it is the responsibility of supermarkets to help their nation and people
by their own movements. So this movement is taken by supermarkets of UK in order to stabilise
worries of population regarding grocery and other eatable items. As people are getting panic and
buying all the food products including staple items in bulk so as to deal with this situation. If we
think by wearing their shoes then movement of general public is not wrong as whole the world is
suffering from this pandemic and there is no surety then when this crisis will go to its end. But at
the same time this movement is very dangerous for country as some needy people are remained
unfed. So in order to tackle people it is required that trust should be filled in the minds of
customer that supermarkets are having ample stock to fulfil needs of population in a very
effective way. So this responsibility was taken by Tesco and they started so many initiatives in
order to render awareness and to validate stock of packaged food in their stores so as to cover up
needs of their customer in a considerable and effective way. This initiative is helpful for them to
enhance their customer base and enhance brand image with CSR activities. As Tesco is helping
the nation by this initiative but at the same time this is helping them to boost their sales even
with enhancing brand image as the company is serving the nation for a good cause. On the other
hand this is the problem which is faced by every nation in which corona virus outbreak took
place and people are panic about future possibility of stock in superstores. As we can see that
staple products are also needed by people but by supplying ample stock of packaged food
demand of staple food can be controlled which will lead to less gathering of people at public
places (Filimonau and Gherbin, 2017). When stocks are available at all stores then gathering can
be controlled as this is a major reason of spreading corona virus in super-fast speed. When

people are getting stock of food item nearby their home then enforceability of lockdown can be
improvised and corona breakdown can be controlled. In order to follow this plan superstores like
Tesco and ASDA have made plans and a list in which goods and food items are mentioned as
according to their priority. On the other hand they have included their suppliers within this plan
and given instructions to enhance their production capacity so as to cater more customers’ needs.
On the other hand as this time is of crisis so food retailer cannot think to earn additional profit so
prices cannot be hiked by them (Adam and Jensen, 2016). This is a movement which has taken
place to serve the nation so this movement was taken by superstores with keeping constant
pricing rather than earning super profits. Further this movement has also included army person
so by their help food can be delivered to needy people by trucks and depots and this is how all
the parties are working together to deal with this pandemic in very effective manner so as to save
their nation and regain their old position. Within this movement Members of the department for
environment, food and rural affairs’ Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group has also come up and
suggested ways that how the impact of this pandemic can be controlled and minimised. Due to
Brexit in last year within UK so many food disruption supplies took place and now this corona
outbreak was faced by UK citizen so it is very difficult for them to cover up this crisis. So in this
crisis people are tend to buying frozen product in bulk which is disrupting stock of eatable item
but at the same time due to robust supply chain of UK superstores food supplies are not irregular
due to which people are getting proper stock of their demanded products in food and beverages
section. For this retailer like Tesco is engaged in examining consumer buying behaviour so as to
deal with future demands and needs. In this pandemic other retailer like Morrison’s put
emphasise on sanitizers and other cleaning products which are required in this corona outbreak.
This pandemic requires high focus on hygiene and cleanliness so for this other supermarket
stores have initiated their plan in order to accelerate supply of these items. These products are
also high in market demand and having shortage within marketplace so consortium of British
supermarket store has made a plan to regularise supply of these products by communicating with
their suppliers to enhance production of sanitizers, hand washes and other home cleaner and
disinfectants so as to cop up with stockpiling and to deal with this pandemic of corona outbreak.
So from above discussion it can be said that in this situation of corona outbreak
supermarket stores of UK has helped their country in very appreciable manner. They have taken
an initiative of Feed the nation and in this they were regularising stock level of food and

beverages products so as to minimise panic level of people and to render food to the needy
people. This step is highly appreciable and supermarkets have dealt with this challenge in a very
considerable manner and helped their nation to fight against corona pandemic (Kanter, Reyes
and Corvalán, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that supermarket industry plays a very vital
role in life of every people and in economy as well. Stakeholders of every business are having
high impact on its operations and for this businesses try to make profitable strategies so as to
involve them in business with high interest. By keeping stakeholder happy a business can
flourish with high amount of success and growth. On the other hand as world is suffering from
pandemic of corona virus so in this supermarket are having their role to serve their nation in
order to help their country to cop up with this pandemic (Chrisinger, 2016).

REFERENCES
Books and journals
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retail grocery stores and supermarkets?—a systematic review. BMC public
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Brown, F.C., AUTOMATION CREATIONS Inc, 2018. System for supermarket energy
management. U.S. Patent 10,055,699.
Chrisinger, B., 2016. A mixed-method assessment of a new supermarket in a food desert:
contributions to everyday life and health. Journal of Urban Health. 93(3). pp.425-437.
Filimonau, V. and Gherbin, A., 2017. An exploratory study of food waste management practices
in the UK grocery retail sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 167, pp.1184-1194.
Ghosh-Dastidar, M., Hunter, G., Collins, R.L., Zenk, S.N., Cummins, S., Beckman, R., Nugroho,
A.K., Sloan, J.C. and Dubowitz, T., 2017. Does opening a supermarket in a food desert
change the food environment?. Health & place, 46, pp.249-256.
Iskin, R.E. ed., 2016. Re-envisioning the contemporary art canon: Perspectives in a global world.
Taylor & Francis.
Kanter, R., Reyes, M. and Corvalán, C., 2017. Photographic methods for measuring packaged
food and beverage products in supermarkets. Current developments in nutrition. 1(10).
p.e001016.
Marques, S.H., Trindade, G. and Santos, M., 2016. The importance of atmospherics in the choice
of hypermarkets and supermarkets. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and
Consumer Research.26(1). pp.17-34.
Ortega, D.L. and Tschirley, D.L., 2017. Demand for food safety in emerging and developing
countries. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies.
Tidy, M., Wang, X. and Hall, M., 2016. The role of Supplier Relationship Management in
reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions from food supply chains: supplier engagement in
the UK supermarket sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, pp.3294-3305.