Abstract
The pace of technological advancements has transformed the way we work and communicate. As a result, workplace communications are being conducted via digital mediums. The current pandemic has had a juggernaut effect accelerating the move to digital workplaces. While many businesses have shifted operations online due to the spread of COVID-19, the supermarket industry being an 'essential service' has been operating traditionally. However, communication has become relatively more digital. This study seeks to explore the relationship between transformational leadership and employee performance in the context of digital communications during COVID-19 in a family managed supermarket and thus relates to the retail sector. The findings suggest that despite the prevalence of digital communication, supermarket leaders prefer face-to-face communication. The virtual medium was found to discord personal connections while it was not the case in physical proximity. Emoji were found to be motivators while adding authenticated emotions to digital messages. Prima facie and ultima-facie performance indicators of employee performance were revealed. The study has limitations of time, resource, methodology and geographical context, nevertheless, it unfolds possibilities for future research in the area of emoji with power, studies with methodological robustness, geographical and industry-wide studies and longitudinal researches.