Research Article

Analysis of Emerging Markets and Resilience: A Study of Zambian Food Market

Authors

  • Gift Simucho Department of Humanities & Social Science, Information and Communications University, Lusaka, Zambia

    giftsimucho@gmail.com

  • Marvin Kabubi Department of Research Information and Communications University, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

This study investigates how labor and input costs affect pricing, profits, and resilience in Zambia's food retail stores. Escalating production costs—worsened by currency depreciation and a reliance on imports—have led to significant price hikes, exacerbating food insecurity among poor families. Using Cost-Plus Pricing and Resilience theories, the research finds that while larger retailers counteract cost pressures with diverse supply strategies and price controls, smaller retailers are overwhelmed by rising operational expenses and limited resources. The study concludes with policy recommendations including labor cost subsidies, investments in industry-specific infrastructure, regulatory reforms, and the promotion of local supply chain collaborations.

Keywords:

Economic Resilience Food Retail Sector Food Security Pricing Strategies Production Costs

Article information

Journal

Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Science

Volume (Issue)

2(1), (2025)

Pages

142-151

Published

14-04-2025

How to Cite

Simucho, G., & Kabubi, M. (2025). Analysis of Emerging Markets and Resilience: A Study of Zambian Food Market. Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, 2(1), 142-151. https://doi.org/10.69739/jahss.v2i1.408

References

African Development Bank. (2022). Building resilient African economies. AfDB Publications.

Berkes, F., Colding, J., & Folke, C. (2003). Navigating social-ecological systems: Building resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511541957

Brown, J., Smith, R., & Jones, L. (2018). Infrastructure quality and its impact on economic performance. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 32(1), 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.32.1.45

Cavallo, E., & Eichengreen, B. (2020). Resilience in emerging markets. Cambridge University Press.

Chakraborty, S., & Basu, P. (2021). Urban labor shifts and food pricing: Evidence from India. Food Policy, 98, 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101940

Chanda, & Mbewe. (2021). Economic policy and development in Zambia. Zambian Economic Review Journal, 35(2), 23–45.

Chisanga, B., & Chibesa, M. (2022). Resilience strategies in Zambia’s food retail market: Evidence from Lusaka. African Economic Review, 45(2), 183–201.

Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2021). Supply chain management: Strategy, planning, and operation (7th ed.). Pearson.

Christopher, M. (2020). Logistics and supply chain management (6th ed.). Pearson Education.

Dawson, J. A., Mukherjee, S., & Sanghavi, N. (2019). The future of retail in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of African Economics, 28(4), 15–37.

Devereux, S., & Maxwell, S. (2019). Food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. ITDG Publishing.

Drury, C. (2021). Management and cost accounting (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Ehrenberg, R. G., & Smith, R. S. (2020). Modern labor economics: Theory and public policy (13th ed.). Routledge.

Eilon, S. (1962). A new approach to cost-plus pricing. Management Science, 8(3), 463–474. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.8.3.463

Folke, C. (2016). Resilience: A key concept for sustainability. Ecology and Society, 21(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-08872-210444

Food and Agriculture Organization. (2022). The impact of the Ukraine crisis on global food prices. https://www.fao.org/3/cb9013en/cb9013en.pdf

Gittinger, J. P. (1982). Economic analysis of agricultural projects (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.

Gould, W. G. (2006). Pricing strategies in the food industry. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 34(12), 925–940. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590550610714658

Holling, C. S. (2001). Understanding the complexity of economic, ecological, and social systems. Ecosystems, 4(5), 390–405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-001-0101-5

Liu, T., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Regulatory frameworks and their impact on food retail profitability: Lessons from South Africa. Journal of Policy and Market Studies, 12(4), 267–285.

Martin, R., & Sunley, P. (2015). On the notion of regional economic resilience: Conceptualization and explanation. Journal of Economic Geography, 15(1), 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbu015

Mbaku, J. M., & Simelane, S. B. (Eds.). (2018). Governance, conflict, and natural resources in Africa: Understanding the role of institutions. Routledge.

Mugendi, J., Mwangi, J. W., & Muriuki, G. W. (2020). Smallholder farmers’ resilience to price fluctuations in Kenya. Agricultural Economics, 51(3), 345–357. https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12567

Mwansa, M. F., & Chileshe, M. M. (2022). The impact of rising input costs on food pricing in Zambia: A case study of maize. Zambian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 5(1), 15–30.

North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change, and economic performance. Cambridge University Press.

Ocampo, J. A., & Stiglitz, J. E. (2018). The welfare state in the twenty-first century: Prospects and challenges in emerging markets. Columbia University Press.

Ogunyemi, A., & Balogun, T. (2020). The effects of regulatory complexity on small businesses in Nigeria. Journal of African Business Studies, 12(2), 134–152.

Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2019). Creating shared value: How to reinvent capitalism and unleash innovation. Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), 62–77.

Rodrigue, J. P. (2020). The geography of transport systems (5th ed.). Routledge. https://transportgeography.org

Sexton, R. J., Zhang, M., & Wang, H. (2022). Market power in the food supply chain: Implications for pricing strategies. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 104(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12295

Smith, & Riley. (2021). Economic resilience and retail sector adaptability in emerging markets. Global Business Review, 15(3), 101–120.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. (2019). Africa regional integration index. https://archive.uneca.org/publications/africa-regional-integration-index

Walker, B. H., Holling, C. S., Carpenter, S. R., & Kinzig, A. (2004). Resilience in ecosystems and people: Assessing the dynamics of the social-ecological system. Ecosystems, 7(6), 621–633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-004-0163-3

Walker, S., Smith, T., & Jones, R. A. (2019). Labor costs and consumer prices: Evidence from Europe and North America. Food Economics – Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica, Section C, 16(1), 1–12.

Downloads

Views

13

Downloads

3