A visit to HCMC’s supermarkets these days reveals shopping trolleys overflowing with merchandise, from confectionery and soft drinks to a variety of other festive goods. A palpable sense of pre-Tet shopping frenzy has gripped the city’s retail sector.
Mai Thi Thu Huyen, shopping at GO! Mien Dong Supermarket on To Hien Thanh Street of District 10, commented: “I was tied up with work until recently, so I’m only now finding time for Tet shopping. I’m surprised by the sheer volume of shoppers. I’m stocking up on sweets, three Tet gift packs, and some banh chung to give as gifts to family.”
Data from Central Retail (operators of GO! and BigC), Saigon Co.op, MM Mega Market, and AEON Mall indicate a surge in sales ranging from 80 percent to 200 percent, with peaks exceeding 200 percent in some instances. Online orders have also seen robust growth, particularly driven by free delivery policies within a 5-10km radius, incentivizing greater consumer spending.
However, some retailers have reported logistical challenges with deliveries due to severe traffic congestion in the city center. Suppliers are deploying additional staff and implementing overtime to ensure timely delivery of Tet orders.
Safoco estimates its sales volume for January 2025 at approximately 1,650 tonnes, representing a 10-to-15-percent increase compared to December 2024, with domestic sales accounting for 1,320 tonnes.
To meet such a high demand, Safoco has extended delivery operations until 10:00 p.m. daily, deploying marketing personnel to support warehouse logistics using motorcycles to expedite deliveries to agents, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Despite rising raw material costs, the company has maintained stable pricing and enhanced promotional activities.
Early yesterday morning, wholesale markets (Binh Dien, Hoc Mon, and Thu Duc) were a hive of activity, with abundant supplies of vegetables, fruits, and fresh flowers arriving from various provinces and cities. The markets were bustling with trade.
Vegetable supplies from Lam Dong Province constituted 36-40 percent of the total vegetable volume at Thu Duc wholesale market. At Binh Dien wholesale market, incoming goods volume increased by 30-60 percent compared to typical days, reaching approximately 4,000 tonnes per day.
Director Le Van Tien of Hoc Mon Agricultural Product Wholesale Market Management and Trading Co. Ltd. informed that the market typically receives around 2,300 tonnes of goods daily, including approximately 1,600 tonnes of vegetables, nearly 320 tonnes of fruit, and around 380 tonnes of pork (equivalent to 5,000-6,000 pigs per night).
It is projected that between the 25-29 of the last lunar month, incoming goods volume will surge by 30-50 percent compared to normal days, with pork volume increasing by approximately 100 percent. Traders have also stockpiled over 2,000 tonnes of vegetables in cold storage facilities surrounding the market.
Traders reported having proactively secured contracts with farmers, ensuring sufficient stock for Tet and mitigating concerns about shortages or price spikes. According to Phuong Hung, a shop owner specializing in imported fresh fruit at Thu Duc wholesale market, sales of these products have nearly tripled compared to normal days.
However, some smaller traders noted that sales remain sluggish and have not yet met expectations. Tam Hai, a vegetable wholesaler at Hoc Mon market, reported that as of early morning on January 23, daily sales of pickled small Vietnamese leeks reached only approximately one tonne, compared to 7-8 tonnes per day in previous years.
