One of the basic measures of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is a lockdown policy with reduced contacts and physical distance. This presents a challenge, especially for fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) supply chains, which are characterized by a large number of physical contacts between employees in production, physical distribution, wholesale, and retail. One of the ways to comply with the prescribed measures with the smooth functioning of the supply chain is the complete digitalization and automation of all business activities and operations based on the application of the Internet of Things (IoT). In this regard, this paper aims to analyze the setbacks to the digitalization of business processes and the sustainability of the FMCG supply chain based on the implementation of IoT. The research has been conducted among the participants in the standardization chain in the sectors of production, physical distribution, wholesale, and retail of FMCG in the Western Balkans region during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed significant differences between business sectors in terms of the intensity of setbacks to successful IoT implementation. Based on the obtained results, a set of measures and incentives was proposed that the competent institutions and the management of the FMCG supply chain should apply to encourage the digitalization process. Suggestions for future research are given in the paper.

This work aims to define the impact of different indicators on the sustainability of food placement in the retail sector, during periods of crisis and emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. An empirical survey conducted in the Western Balkans (WB) region showed that indicators such as developed infrastructure, consistency, and transparency of the supply chain, skilled workers, costs, food safety, food prices, energy consumption, and changes in consumer needs are statistically significant since they affect the sustainability of food placement in the retail sector. As food placement and the retail sector itself are inseparable from other participants in the food supply chain (FSC), an analysis was conducted at the level of all FSC sectors. The results showed some deviations viewed individually in the sectors of production, physical distribution, wholesale, and retail, and in selected Western Balkan countries. Based on the results obtained, the sustainability model of food placement in the retail sector has been defined. The model will serve as the basis for defining the set of measures and incentives that competent institutions and FSC management need to undertake, to minimize the impact of indicators that endanger sustainability. The originality of the study lies in the fact that it fills the research gap that exists in this subject matter in academic research and studies in the WB region. In addition, some indicators important for food placement have been precisely isolated, with the definition of the intensity of their impact, observed overall at the level of the entire FSC as well as by individual sectors. Guidelines and suggestions for future research are listed in the paper.

No abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) or Internet of everything gives new opportunities to retailers by linking each consumer with the retail facility and the activities it performs in the purchasing process by connecting to Internet and combining physics and the virtual world. In the modern world, the amount of business data is growing steadily, raising the question of how to manage it main occupation of retailers. The key factor in introducing Internet of Things in retail is reducing costs. Internet of things in retailing is the connection between physical sales facilities and products and the virtual world of retailers and consumers. Implementation of Internet of Things involves application of technology in retail store, use of mobile devices by consumers, interaction with the consumer, the availability of data on the cloud or on social networks, as well as the backend system, the infrastructure for collecting, monitoring, storing and processing data.Сажетак: "Интернет ствари" или "интернет свега" пружа нове могућности за малопродавце тако што повезује сваког потрошача с малопродајним објектом и активностима које обавља у процесу куповине, повезивањем на интернет и комбиновањем физике и виртуелног света. У савременом свету, количина података из пословања се непрекидно повећава, а главна преокупација малопродаваца постаје начин управљања подацима. Кључни фактор увођења интернета ствари у малопродају јесте смањење трошкова. Интернет ствари у малопродаји јесте веза између физичких продајних објеката и производа и виртуелног света трговаца и потрошача. Примена интернета ствари подразумева примену технологије у малопродаји, коришћење мобилних уређаја од стране потрошача, интеракцију с потрошачем, доступност података на облаку посредством програма лојалности или друштвених мрежа, као и позадински систем, инфраструктура за сакупљање, праћење, чување и обраду података.

No abstract