To do that, China relied on mandates from central authorities against hoarding and profiteering. Private companies, including JD.com Inc. and Walmart Inc., rerouted trucks and located supplies that otherwise might not have made it to market. After Beijing called for an increase in face mask production , manufacturers canceled holidays for workers and jacked up wages to increase production of basic medical supplies. When Beijing issued orders against price gouging, companies looked for sudden price spikes and cut off guilty shopkeepers, or found ways to make more products available. Shopping app Pinduoduo Inc. got more farmers to use their online marketplaces, enabling them to sell more widely. By targeting soon-to-expire foods that might ordinarily have been thrown away by suppliers, Walmart was able to locate a massive batch of cucumbers in Yunnan province. Staff members worked through the night at a distribution center to test and sort the cucumbers […]