Thailand: The Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Thai Food Retail and Food Service Sector

The overall Thai economy is projected to slow down significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Thai government’s countermeasures such as travel restrictions, curfew time limit, and the closure of venues considered high-risk areas including the retail shopping malls to curb the spread of the virus disease have impacted hospitality and food service industries severely. Food sales through convenience stores, supermarkets, supercenters, and their online platforms saw mild growth, while full dine-in restaurants are under severe stress from the outbreak. The crisis has habituated Thai consumers to online food and grocery purchases. The pandemic resulted not only in changes in consumer purchasing behavior but also in their consumption habits (increase in home cooking) and healthy living trends.

Thailand: The Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Thai Food Retail and Food Service Sector