The unprecedented levels of unemployment and business closures reflects the impact of the movement control order (MCO) to address the Covid-19 pandemic. Even as lockdown restrictions are gradually being lifted, as consumer preferences change, businesses have had to innovate their offerings and the way they do their business.

This paper aims to provide a discussion about how SMEs in the retail sector, including micro-SMEs (MSMEs), have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper draws on information from field interviews and case studies, as well as gleanings from a roundtable organised with relevant stakeholders in order to identify key success factors for SMEs.