We originally developed the case study for the World Asian Case Competition 2021, as part of the entry submission. The Academy of Asian Business Review later published the case in its peer-reviewed journal and featured it on How Asian Brands Soar 7: Lessons from World's Top 10 Asian Cases.
The case study provides an in-depth analysis of how Chaldal built a resilient ecosystem in the e-grocery space of Bangladesh, allowing it to become immune to external market shocks and supply chain disruptions. Starting its operations in an underdeveloped e-commerce sector riddled with backdated payment systems, lack of consumer trust and logistical challenges, Chaldal has managed to retain its market leader position for the last eight years and continues to do so in the e-grocery market.
Therefore, the case firstly traces the development timeline of Chaldal and uncovers how it transformed itself from an online grocery business to an end-to-end grocery supply chain platform. Secondly, it identifies the major turning points in Chaldal's journey and how it converted external challenges into exciting market opportunities.
Next, the case digs deep into the success factors of Chaldal, unearths the vertical expansion strategies of Chaldal, and demonstrates how each vertical has become a vital puzzle piece in the entire ecosystem.
The final section explores the current challenges faced by Chaldal and provides prospective alternatives to overcome the limitations imposed by those challenges.
Overall, the case study is a lesson on how a company can channel its obsession with innovation and efficiency to ensure customer satisfaction and drive business growth.
e-grocery, vertical expansion, supply chain innovation, COVID-19, startup ecosystem.
