(Yicai Global) May 23 -- Imported fresh foods are appearing on dining tables in Shanghai again, as the market and businesses gradually start to return to life following the city’s weeks-long lockdown that began in late March.

The comeback has been further aided by foreign aquatic and fresh food companies in the city turning to unconventional means during lockdown to ensure orderly business operations.

One of the biggest challenges posed by the resurgence of Covid-19 in and around the city has been the logistics logjam.

Due to possible poor transport between regions, it became necessary for Thai Union China, a frozen fish and shrimp and fresh products trader, to consider storing some products in other regions, according to General Manager Lu Libin. The firm had perviously centralized storage in one or two warehouses, he said.

Thai Union China, a wholly owned unit of Thai Union Group, earns about 20 percent to 40 percent of its total income from its Shanghai business.

Lu revealed that due to changes in consumption methods and procurement channels during the Covid-19 outbreak, the specifications of products, which were basically tailored to just one or two meals, were now being adjusted to include more meals.

With almost no sales through catering and wholesale channels, Thai Union China’s retail channel sales doubled last month.

The supply chain of Rockit, a well-known New Zealand fruit brand, also took a hit. The firm began promoting its community buying business in Shanghai not long after lockdown began, a company official said.

Rockit’s warehouse partners stockpiled a range of materials before lockdown was imposed in preparation for the long-term stay of workers in warehouses in order to maintain normal logistics.

Foreign companies have begun to reboot operations in the city steadily since the start of this month, with a gradual resumption of transport and sales amid improving logistics.

The Rockit official told Yicai Global that logistics in Shanghai have improved greatly compared with the initial stages of the lockdown and delivery frequency is slowly rebounding. 

A specialized importer of Malaysia’s Musang King durian told Yicai Global that many of its logistics partners were on the city’s first ‘white list’ of companies allowed to resume work. So logistics have become smooth as work and production resume step by step.

Editors: Xu Wei, Peter Thomas