Analysis of the Resilience of China's Fresh Food E-Commerce Supply Chains after COVID-19: Evidence from Hema Fresh

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions to global supply chains, and the fresh food e-commerce sector has been particularly affected due to the perishable nature of its products and the strict time requirements in distribution. Understanding how fresh food e-commerce platforms cope with such extreme shocks and rebuild their supply chains afterwards is therefore of both practical and research significance. This study takes Hema Fresh as a case to examine the disruption risks it encountered during the pandemic, the emergency measures it adopted, and the strategic transformation it pursued in the post-pandemic period. Using a single-case-study approach and drawing on multiple data sources including corporate financial reports, media coverage, academic papers, and industry research reports, the study applies thematic analysis to identify key patterns in Hema's resilience-building process. The findings show that Hema effectively addressed immediate crises through measures such as the "shared employee" program and multi-source procurement, and later achieved a turnaround from loss to profit through discount reforms and vertical supply chain integration. However, the study also identifies a persistent tension between cost efficiency and resilience redundancy, which remains a key challenge for Hema and the broader fresh e-commerce industry.