CHALLENGES AND INTERACTION STRATEGIES OF LOGISTICS COMPANIES IN THE FMCG SECTOR UNDER CONDITIONS TO SIXTH-ORDER TECHNOLOGIES TRANSITION

Abstract

The article presents the results of a qualitative study based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with senior managers and executives of logistics and manufacturing companies operating in the FMCG sector across different regions of Ukraine, conducted between June 2025 and March 2026. The purpose of the study is to systematise current logistics challenges, identify technology adoption strategies, and map interaction models among market participants under conditions of transition to the sixth technological paradigm. The sample is formed using purposive sampling to ensure geographic coverage and diversity by company size and type. Five key challenge clusters are identified: personnel deficit (mentioned by 100 % of respondents), driven by military mobilisation, emigration, and workforce feminisation; security risks (90 %), manifesting as route instability, shelling of vehicles and warehouses, and closure of up to 30 % of localities for commercial delivery; financial constraints (85 %), including fuel cost escalation and limited access to investment capital; technology polarisation (75 %), reflecting a sharp asymmetry between large companies and SMEs; and regulatory and standardisation uncertainty (70 %). The study identifies the phenomenon of "dual-track adaptation", organisations simultaneously pursuing short-term survival strategies (route changes, decentralised warehousing, atypical recruitment) and long-term transformational investment (automation, robotics, digitalisation). A second key finding is "technological fatalism" among small businesses, a self-reinforcing belief that wartime conditions render innovation impossible. A three-option standardisation matrix (self-development; industry alliance; awaiting state standard) is proposed, with most large FMCG logistic companies preferring self-development followed by state endorsement. Standardisation is already occurring through the market power of national retail chains, confirming the "standardisation-through-market-power" concept. Policy implications are formulated for business, government, and the academic community.