ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a profound global crisis, severely disrupting the intricate systems underpinning national economies, with the retail sector hit particularly hard. During this period of disruption from March 2020 through the entirety of 2021, how did Walmart, as a leading global retailer, manage to pivot from its usual retail strategies and not only survive but also thrive? This paper analyzes Walmart's comprehensive response strategy focusing on its use of technology, the strengthening of its supply chain, and the growth of its omnichannel capabilities to maintain operational stability (Walmart, 2023; Gelski, 2023). Walmart's strategy, positioned at the intersection of changing consumer demand and keeping up with digital transformation, highlights how integrating technology with agile decision-making provides a framework for navigating crises such as COVID-19 while sustaining business operations. This paper examines Walmart's strategies through crisis management and digital transformation frameworks, contributing to research on organizational resilience while offering actionable insights for leveraging technology, data analytics, and agility for companies with complex supply chains to navigate future crises while emerging stronger.
Keywords
COVID-19, crisis management, strategic management, technology integration, Walmart strategy, supply chain innovation, omnichannel retailing, consumer behavior, digital transformation, adaptability, organizational resilience.