Case Study of Impact of COVID-19 on Haidilao

Abstract

The outbreak of the pandemic forced numerous businesses to shut down, which severely harmed the economy and influenced many people’s lives. The subsequent change in government policies, corporate policies, and consumer behaviors had a strong impact on the catering industry. Consumers grow to be more conscious and sensitive when consuming services. In finding a solution to recover from loss in profitability and customer consumption, restaurants started to revolutionize aspects of their operation to include the advanced online platforms and to emphasize safety and health in their marketing. Using literature analysis and case study method, this paper analyzes how this restaurant brand had been affected and how it could implement different strategies with Haidilao Hot Pot as an example. In the more rigorous competition in the post-pandemic era, Haidilao and other similar restaurants brand could learn from the consumers’ behavior trends and develop more ways to improve their businesses.