Challenges of the COVID-۱۹ and Post-COVID Era for E-Commerce in the Food Industry

Objective: The aim of this review article is to examine the impacts of the COVID-۱۹ pandemic and post-pandemic changes on digital platforms within the food industry. This article seeks to gain insights from various perspectives, including the resilience of supply chains against disruptions, strategies employed by food service businesses during crises, consumer behavior towards local foods and online delivery services, and the role of digital technologies in supporting sustainable and resilient supply chain management in the post-COVID era. Furthermore, the article analyzes the methods used to cope with this crisis, innovations, and transformations that have occurred within the industry. Method: In this review article, papers related to the impacts of COVID-۱۹ and post-COVID-۱۹ on the food industry and digital platforms were selected. The articles were sourced from the reputable scientific database, Emerald, based on criteria such as academic credibility, novelty of the topic, and direct relevance to the areas of interest (digital platforms, food supply chain, consumer behavior, and innovations during crises). The selected articles were then categorized and compared based on their core content, results, research methods, and analyses. The analyses conducted in this paper aimed to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities within the food industry during the post-COVID-۱۹ era. Findings: The findings from the review of various papers indicate that digital platforms and innovative strategies during the COVID-۱۹ and post-COVID-۱۹ crises have played a crucial role in the resilience of the food supply chain, consumer behavior, and the growth of restaurant brands. Digital platforms have facilitated communication between suppliers and consumers, enhanced efficiency and productivity, and reduced intermediaries, thereby improving supply chain resilience against external disruptions. Additionally, consumers have shown a greater preference for local foods during the crisis, with this preference driven by health and safety