COVID-19 Pandemic and Crisis to Local Merchants: How Can Technology Help?

As per the situation we’re facing, it’s high time the merchants seek help from the technology. Addressing virtual services will benefit the merchants in their business and will help to uplift the community lives at this catastrophe period. Local merchants are community pioneers, they are the identity of our community thus they need to be supported. Local manufacturers and merchants need to make some technological strategies to cope with the current catastrophe and prepare themselves for future crises.

When staying at home initiatives were enforced to maintain physical distancing to limit larger gatherings of people, various sectors were disturbed and local merchants have been struggling with their business as everything has halted. Technology, if incorporated while forming business strategies, will make lives easier for merchants and their communities. Some of the local merchants suffering from the pandemic and the probable ways technology will uplift their business have been talked about below.

Local Farmers

The COVID-19 outbreak is causing a huge supply chain stutter. In the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, the agriculture sector of the country has been acutely rattled. Harvested crops cannot be supplied by the farmers. This has further gone to show a substantial agricultural emergency. Farmers are considered to be among some of the most vulnerable ones during this pandemic, they are distressed due to colossal economic losses in their business.

Farmers can be linked with third-party delivery service providers like Metrotarkari, SmartDoko, Sastodeal, Khaanpin, Gypau, Daily Grocery, Kirana, FoodPlus by Foodmario, etc which will aid them to sell their products like fruits, vegetables, dairy items, and many others and get them delivered to the customers by simply incorporating technology into their business component. Online delivery services like these can sell fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to consumers by connecting the farmers to the consumers.

This situation may push them locally to be self-dependent; this will encourage them to work not only for themselves but for the whole country by acting as a provider. By doing this, local manufacturers and local merchants will be upgrading themselves by adapting to a lifestyle full of technological elevation by linking themselves with online service providers.

Local cafe and restaurants

The COVID -19 shutdowns are the biggest crisis that the foodservice industry has ever faced in recent history. Restaurants, cafes:  large and small are doing their best they can to navigate out of the economic shock brought by the pandemic.

Restaurants and cafes, if associated with third-party delivery providers like Foodmandu, Bhojdeals, Foodmario, and others, can charge restaurants with a very little amount of commission fees to help them during their struggling period. Owners should shift their focus to delivery in the interest of feeding communities and bring in at least some cash than they did pre-COVID-19 pandemic.

When the mandatory closing of non-essential venues was sanctioned, foodservice has become among some of the most hit sectors. This whole situation has left a lot of owners in tight spots with limited options. Restaurants and cafes need to change their strategy by changing business models like selling meals to go, take away, or online delivery systems that are convenient and safer for their customers. With restaurants and food services being closed, purchasing meals from locally-owned restaurants will be easy if they are providing delivering services and other online marketing strategies to attract customers as customers want reliable and safe means to be facilitated with services by living sophisticated life with innovative technology mechanisms.

Independent stores

Businesses in stores have been highly affected by lower demand for their products and services as people do not feel safe purchasing goods at stores directly due to health concerns.  Technology is at its greatest growth phase. Those who survive are those who adapt. Stores can register to online marketplaces like SastoDeal, Daraz, Thulo, Gyapu etc in order to sell their products to consumers by giving some commission to these online service providers.

Online retail and delivery businesses can potentially gain at this time of crisis as consumers would want to purchase goods in a safe and convenient manner. Shopping online at small independent stores is an innovative idea if this idea is practiced, technology will be reshaping the business of such stores.  The upturn in business will be seen as the online order for household essentials from consumers will be rising.

Adapting to technology will cause a major impact on the future of retailing as local merchants are vital to the community and nation as technology keeps businesses safe and convenient. This whole fiasco will motivate merchants to start selling online as technology is a savior.

The current catastrophe will go on to show who has the highest chance of survival in the local merchandise territory. Adapting to these technological changes may change consumer behaviors permanently. What do you think might be the technological adjustment that will help local merchants?