While the fall season started just last week, grocery stores are already preparing for winter.

"Pandemic Pallets" are gaining more traction, with grocers preparing for worst and stocking the wooden storage structures with items that could be in high demand around Thanksgiving, and even Christmas, according to the Wall Street Journal. The goods being stockpiled on the pallets range from cleaning supplies to dry goods, the report said.

While the pallets vary in nature, their overall purpose remains the same: ensuring grocery stores will be able to handle demand if shoppers begin to "panic buy" as they did in March if COVID-19 cases spike in the winter.

How can creating pandemic pallets represent a competitive advantage to a retailer? Use Porters Five Forces model to answer.