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Tet goods are abundant at supermarkets. (Photo: SGGP) |
Besides, supermarkets and trade centers have confirmed that they will sell goods at preferential prices and increase promotions to support consumers.
Abundant goods
At the weekend, Ngo Thi Mien, living on Go Dau Street in Tan Phu District, leisurely went shopping at a supermarket near her house. “In previous years, at this time, my husband and I were often busy buying and storing goods for gradual use because we were worried that no one would sell goods during the Tet holiday. However, this year, goods are abundant, and there is unlikely a shortage of goods, so I only buy enough to use. I will buy more if needed to be economical and civilized," Mien shared.
Like Mien, many people do not rush to shop for Tet because most supermarkets and trade centers have prepared goods for Tet early and abundantly, especially essential items, such as rice, fresh food, ready-made food, and cooking oil. A representative of Vissan Company said that the value of goods prepared for the upcoming Lunar New Year is more than VND710 billion, including 2,500 tons of fresh food and 4,150 tons of processed food, an increase of about 8 percent over the same period in 2021.
Besides the supermarket system, e-commerce platforms, such as Shopee, Lazada, and Tiki, also promote connection, improve customer approach through investment in impressive packaging, and select green, clean, safe gift products to meet the diverse needs of consumers during the Tet holiday. Meanwhile, wholesale markets in HCMC have also pledged to provide enough goods to serve people.
For example, during the days near Tet, Binh Dien Wholesale Market will increase the volume of goods by about 20 percent compared to normal days. Especially, on peak days (the 26th and the 27th day of the last month in the lunar calendar), the supply can rise by 30-50 percent, reaching 3,500-4,500 tons per night. Fruits, cattle meat, poultry meat, and vegetables are forecast to surge many times higher.
Particularly, fresh flowers are forecasted to climb quite strongly, 30 times higher than normal days (from 150-200 tons). At the Hoc Mon Wholesale Market, the market management board forecasts an increase of about 10 percent in goods supply from the 25th to the 30th day of the last month in the lunar calendar compared to normal days. As for pork, pork supply is expected to soar 100 percent on the 29th day of the last month in the lunar calendar, reaching 670 tons per day and night.
"We commit to ensuring a sufficient supply of goods for the market's demand, contributing to stabilizing prices for the city during the Lunar New Year," said Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of Hoc Mon Wholesale Market Management and Trading Company.
Efforts to stabilize prices
This is not the peak time for Tet shopping, but some small traders said that transportation costs had increased significantly despite the decreases in gasoline prices. N.T., a small trader at Ben Thanh Market in District 1, said that in the past, 500kg of goods carried by four-wheeled vehicles from Binh Tay Market to Ben Thanh Market was about VND100,000, but now the price has climbed to VND150,000. For two-wheelers, the freight price from Hoc Mon Wholesale Market to Ben Thanh Market has advanced from VND70,000 to VND110,000.
It was recorded that the increase in transportation costs caused some items in Nhat Tao Market in District 10, Tan Chanh Hiep Market in District 12, and Ba Chieu Market in Binh Thanh District to surge by 5-10 percent in price compared to more than one month ago.
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Customers go shopping at a supermarket in District 12. (Photo: SGGP) |
To reduce price pressure and support consumers, the People's Committee of HCMC recently issued a plan to stabilize the market at the end of the year.
Accordingly, the total amount of goods in reserve is more than 30,000 tons, up 15-30 percent over the same period in 2022, with a total value of about VND22 trillion. The volume of goods imported to wholesale markets is expected to increase by 80 percent compared to normal days. Of which, goods of enterprises that participate in the market stabilization program account for 25-43 percent; goods of production and trading enterprises, distribution systems, and markets account for 57-75 percent of market demand.
The Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City informed that most of the supply of goods comes from other provinces. Therefore, the department has promoted the supply-demand connection with other provinces and cities to bring safe food to HCMC dwellers during the Lunar New Year.
Some supermarket systems, such as Co.opmart, BigC, Go!, MM Mega Market, and Emart, are also running promotional and subsidy programs for customers, with a reduction of 5-50 percent, supplying through many distribution channels.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Van, Communications Director of Central Retail Group in Vietnam, said that predicting that the purchasing power during the Tet holiday would increase by over 30 percent year-on-year, the supermarket had expanded the display area of goods and promoted the supply of Tet goods through the e-commerce channel.
Mr. Tsan A Sin, Deputy Director of Binh Dien Wholesale Market Management and Trading Company, said that some products that saw price increases belong to the groups of goods consumed a lot during Tet, such as seafood, fresh fruit, and fresh flowers. These products may climb by 10-30 percent. The remaining groups of products will only have slight price fluctuations, while a few will drop in price due to high output.
