DIA Case Study 8 When plans go awry In 2020, after most of its internal systems were upgraded to the highest of standards to ensure everything would run smoothly, DIA was ready to see its bold omnichannel vision come to fruition – but then came the global coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately for DIA, the new status quo, one in which people were forced indoors and prefered the safer option of online shopping, did not require a drastic change of plans, but it did require an acceleration. Initially, to match the high demand for grocery through its online channels, DIA turned two of its physical stores into ‘dark stores’. Dark stores are stores (or sometimes distribution centers) closed to the public, functioning 24/7 solely for picking up or delivering orders placed online. “This was a great option for us, since we could reach more than 160 new neighborhoods and we could make the DIA Online service known to many more families.” Fernanda Onzari Nobua, Ecommerce Director of DIA Argentina