RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION OF SMALL INDEPENDENT RETAILERS IN POST-COVID ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN EMERGING MARKET

Irfan Saleh
Dina Dellyana

Multidiciplinary Output Research for Actual and International Issue (Morfai Journal)
Vol. 5 No. 4 (2025): Multidiciplinary Output Research For Actual and International Issue

This study investigates how strategic planning, operational business practices, retailer supplier relationship, and technology adoption affect the performance of small independent retailers in Indonesia. By using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS, data were gathered from 283 retailers in Indonesia, West Java Province, specifically in Majalengka, Cirebon, Kuningan, and Indramayu between February and May 2025. Covid19 degraded the business sectors, the aim of study is to reveal how small independent retailer can survive and grow. The findings shows that both effective business operations and the use of technology significantly enhance customer loyalty, which is important in boosting retailer performance. Moreover, relationship among retailers and suppliers bridging the mediation effect of strategic planning on performance. Although strategic planning does not directly influence loyalty, its indirect effects highlight the importance of surrounding factors. The study reinforces the theoretical frameworks of the Technology to Performance Chain (TPC) and the relational view of firm performance, while proposing practical insights for retail strategy and digital innovation in emerging markets.