Supply chain disruption in time of crisis: a case of the Indonesian retail sector

PurposeThis study investigated factors in the retail supply chains that were disrupted by the flow of the product distribution process from suppliers to retail stores and finally to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study involved 12 key informants from two manufacturing industries and three retail industries in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the analysis of empirical conditions employed qualitative content analysis to discover facts of the inbound and outbound supplies in retail supply chains.FindingsThis study revealed high demands for certain products and a shift in consumer purchase trends during the pandemic screwed merchandising planning in retail stores. These conditions have brought continuous impacts on the production processes of manufacturing industries that also faced constrained raw material supplies. Container shortage in the global supply chain has increasingly aggravated the crisis of retail supply chains. 10;Practical implicationsRetailers and all related parties are ready to anticipate the changing of the supply chain by preparing strategies to overcome the crisis.Originality/valueA contribution is made to the global retail supply chain in times of crisis and can serve as a framework for further research in each region.