3 Fields, 1 Mode of Survival: How Puregold, Imarflex and Chef Patrick Adapted to the COVID 19 Crisis in the Philippines

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to countless businesses and consumers all over the world. Nonetheless, numerous businesses found a way to overcome this obstacle and adapt e-commerce into the business landscape. This phenomenological study examined the modifications made by selected businesses in order to adapt to the new normal of the business world, inquiring into the importance of e-commerce as a coping strategy to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected through Zoom interviews with the companies Puregold, Imarflex, and Chef Patrick, each a distinct field in business. Results showed that the pandemic served as an accelerator of the structural change in consumption and the digital transformation in the marketplace. Furthermore, involvement in e-commerce and in the online space in general played a role in assisting the companies throughout the pandemic. E-commerce has been very important to the selected businesses in maintaining a competitive advantage in terms of new trends in the market. E-commerce gives an opportunity for businesses to give consumers the satisfaction of being able to serve at their own convenience. With all of this, seven master themes surfaced, namely “Rise of e-commerce”, “Online presence”, “Influence on landscape”, “Controlling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis”, “Benefits to the business”, “Issues in running an online business”, and “Insights of businesses after the pandemic”. Given these points, the selected businesses have found success in adapting online. Thus, e-commerce will continue to rise, evolve, and shape businesses that find home in the Better Normal