Business Resilience And Digital Adaptation Of Grocery Stores In Waropen Regency, Papua

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the business resilience strategies and digital adaptation patterns of traditional grocery stores in Waropen Regency, Papua. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative approach with an exploratory case study design, data were collected through in-depth online interviews with eight grocery store managers and operational documentation studies, then analyzed using the interactive model by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014). The findings indicate that the business resilience of grocery stores relies on the discipline of daily capital turnover, tightening or eliminating credit facilities (kasbon) to maintain cash liquidity, and strengthening social capital through intensive communication among traders to mitigate supply chain disruption risks caused by severe weather and maritime transport delays. Meanwhile, the digital technology adoption process occurs gradually and selectively (gradual digital adaptation). Traders have adopted WhatsApp and bank transfer services for efficient communication and wholesale supply transactions; however, the utilization of Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS)-based payment instruments at the end-consumer level remains very limited. This limited QRIS adoption is a rational adjustment due to an unprepared local ecosystem, which is still dominated by consumer cash preferences, low digital literacy, and crucial basic infrastructure barriers such as PLN electricity outages and internet signal instability. This study concludes that accelerating MSME digitalization in remote areas requires an integrated approach that prioritizes fulfilling basic infrastructure reliability before promoting full integration of digital payment systems.