When Sri Lanka entered a sudden lockdown, in response to the global COVID – 19 pandemic, Saaraketha, Sri Lanka’s largest retailer and exporter of certified fresh organic produce and ethically sourced sustainables, was one of the very first to respond to the overnight national need for delivered food. Unlike other retailers, in the food industry, Saaraketha had years of experience with home delivery, supporting a loyal base of urban consumers with a bi-weekly service prior to the pandemic.
The Island-wide curfew brought with it overnight unprecedented demand, where in the first 48 hours they witnessed a 100x surge per day on their online home delivery segment. They encountered fresh, un-foreseeable challenges as the Saaraketha team stepped up to fulfils their calling as a socially responsible company. With the leadership of their Managing Director; Prasanna Hettiarachchi, Saaraketha found not only novel ways to streamline their processes, delivery and service, but also opened up their platform and customer base to other small ethical businesses.
The Saaraketha Lifestyle philosophy has always been one of sustainability, social responsibility and highest quality; values that come alive particularly in periods of crisis. Because of their commitment to these principles, despite facing a severe disruption of their core export business, Saaraketha has still been able to contribute to support the livelihoods of their supply chain consisting of over 2500 rural small holder farmers.
The emphasis on stringent health and safety, and organic farming and processing protocols, that Saaraketha Lifestyle has built their reputation on, over the last 8 years of operation, means that, even in a pandemic, their customer base can absolutely trust the products that they receive, going as far as being able to trace where their food has come from.
As the dust settles slowly, a new world is emerging.
Not just for Saaraketha but for the whole world. Consumers are rethinking their habits, their allegiances and there is more awareness about the impact of their consumption choices.
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