HCM CITY — Saigon Co-op on Friday opened a new Co.opmart supermarket in Cần Thơ City’s Bình Thủy District, the 106th Co.opmart store in the country and third in the city.

Located at 35-37 Cách Mạng Tháng Tám Street, Co.opmart Bình Thủy has a total business area of 2,400sq,m and an investment cost of more than VNĐ55 billion (US$2.36 million).

It stocks more than 30,000 items, including fresh and processed foods, cosmetics, clothes and household utensils, 90 per cent of which are high-quality Vietnamese products.

The new outlet would provide people in the city, and especially the district, with one more place to buy goods with clear origin, good quality, and reasonable prices, especially on the upcoming New Year and Tết (Lunar New year) holidays.

For the upcoming Tết, Saigon Co.op, owner of the Co.opmart, Co.op Xtra and Co.op Food chains, plans to stock nearly 150,000 tonnes of goods worth over VNĐ3 trillion ($128.7 million), an increase of 10 per cent over last year.

The number of products for HCM City’s price stabilisation programme will increase by 5-30 per cent depending on the item, while the rest will increase by 10-30 per cent, with fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and beverages seeing the highest increase.

Nguyễn Anh Đức, deputy general director of Saigon Co.op, said preparations began in the middle of the year, with the co-operative working with producers and suppliers to ensure adequate supply for Tết at reasonable prices.

Saigon Co.op also plans to double the frequency of quality checks during Tết compared to normal months, especially of foods, to 10 times.

Besides the city price stabilisation programme, Saigon Co.op is also selling some other essential products at 5-10 per cent lower than market prices.

Supply will also be enhanced of new private-label products for Tết such as confectionery, raisins, beverages, sausages, meat paste, pickled vegetables, and other traditional specialities.

In addition to stocking up for Tết, the retailer is also focused on expanding its distribution network by opening four or five Co.opmart and around 10 Co.op Food stores between now and the end of the lunar year in early February. — VNS