Big supermarket chains are making the most out of telephone orders and working closely with delivery service providers, which is also a method strongly encouraged by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
While delivery apps on smart phones are fairly popular with youngsters in Vietnam, the new phone ordering initiative really stroke a cord with most housewives who are unfamiliar with technology.
Data from Saigon Co.op, one of the leading supermarket chains in Vietnam, shows that telephone orders increased by 4-5 times, and their e-commerce website also saw 10 times the number of visits compared to January 2020, which greatly helps keep sales from dropping amidst the epidemic.
Essential food products such as rice and instant noodles, as well as cosmetic products and household appliances are among the most ordered items among supermarket consumers, said Marketing Director of the chain.
The Thai-owned supplier for Vietnamese supermarkets, Central Retail Group, noted that their sales have upped more than 10 percent during recent weeks.
Along with supermarkets, most chains of restaurants, coffee shops and milk tea are also promoting online and telephone ordering with very tempting discounts.
Ride-hailing companies such as Grab and Go-viet which also provide delivery services are seeing great benefit thanks to these trends, with the number of placed orders going up to 50 percent.
In another development, as many offices allow employees to work from home, the need to transport business documents is also increasing, said a spokesman of Vietnam Post. The number of documents and papers being delivered via Vietnam Post within January 2020 increased by about 10 percent.
Since WHO declared the ever-complicating developments of Covid-19, supermarkets and shopping malls have tripled their stocks to ensure sufficient goods supply, said Deputy Director General of Domestic Market Department, Le Viet Nga.
Supermarket goods being loaded for delivery (Photo: SGGP)
