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CORPORATE TRADE ACHIEVE MORE VIA MARKETING AND SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATION Trading that dust-gathering excess inventory for a higher value in media is a powerful way to uncover untapped worth. BTy Active International Head of Commercial Selina Martin. he ongoing pandemic has reshaped the way business leaders perceive disruption. Writers, academics and various publications have frequently described business disruption linked to transformational technology and start- up competition. This year, nature gave us a not-so- friendly reminder that threats can come from anywhere. Businesses today are faced with tremendous pressure to navigate between now and next. Covid-19 has given us a newfound appreciation for how dependent our businesses are on the basics: functional supply chains, intact sales channels, and employee/consumer health. Whether the disruption has happened 66 RETAIL WORLD OCT, 2020 on the supply side or the demand side, business leaders around the world are reconsidering these basics, with emphasis on risk mitigation and business continuity. They’re updating their playbooks and exploring innovative options to protect their businesses now and to better respond in the future. We learnt first-hand that new threats require new approaches. The supply and demand game If you’re selling more than you can produce during the Covid era, your playbook might consist of exploring various options: geographic supplier diversity, raw material needs, labour and production investment among many. Companies are thinking employee safety and operations, and shifting customer communication and brand messaging. If you aren’t selling enough product, you’re faced with an entirely different set of challenges. There’s a lot at stake. With jobs, people and workplace culture in mind, many businesses are attempting to bring clarity to revenue forecasts amid uncertainty. Scenario planning, cashflow preservation, cost cutting, layoffs, right- sizing production and liquidating unsold product are just a few of the ways businesses are seeking to gain control over their short- and long-term health. Despite these efforts, many businesses are faced with unsold merchandise that is tying up valuable cashflow and warehouse space. Familiar methods for managing overstock generally include deep discounting, bundling (eg, buy one, get one), or even outright disposal. In each case, businesses resort to these tactics under duress and assume some degree of financial loss. Further, disposing of product in