Covid-19 and Essential Workers
In early 2020 many of the countries in the world declared a “lockdown” condition and required their citizens to stay home unless they were deemed an “essential” worker. This was in response to the declaration of a global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus.
The response from many people was to purchase more than a usual quantity of supplies. The resulting shortage in many goods led to a hoarding response by many people, and soon there were extreme shortages.
One of the most notable in some parts of the world was a shortage of bathroom tissue, and the shops that sell the tissue were unable to obtain replacement quantities for several months.
Discuss the supply chain concepts that this condition illustrates. Then discuss alternatives of how this condition could be addressed more effectively if it were to occur again.
For each alternative, try to discuss the benefits and costs involved. This should be done from the perspective of both the retailer and the producer. What method would you recommend and why?
