Retailers have increased stocks of fresh food and other essential goods commonly consumed during Tết to ensure sufficient supply and stable prices. — Photo courtesy of Saigon Co.op

HCM CITY — With the Lunar New Year (Tết) around the corner, retailers are scrambling to stockpile goods to meet the imminent surge in demand.

A representative of Saigon Co.op said stocks of fresh foods have been doubled so that its Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food, and Co.opSmile stores could meet any surge in demand during Tết.

Saigon Co.op has also increased by 20-50 per cent the stock of goods it is selling under the city’s price stablisation programme and of essential goods, he said.

To ensure consumer price stability, it has allocated most of its budget to nine items under the programme – rice, sugar, cooking oil, pork, poultry meat, poultry eggs, processed food, fruits and vegetables, and seafood, the representative said.

Saigon Co.op will also increase its supply of ready-to-eat dishes.

Nguyễn Trọng Tuấn, operations director of WinMart supermarket system, said the number of customers shopping at WinMart/WinMart+ has increased sharply since early this month.

They mainly buy essential goods and Tết gift baskets, and the numbers are expected to go up even further between the beginning of January and Tết, which falls on January 22, he said.

WinCommerce had readied stocking plans for Tết a few months ago, and they involve increasing stocks by 20-30 per cent from last year, he said.

“In the fresh food category, we focus on certain items such as vegetables, fruits and meat.

“Traditional Tết items such as fruit gift hampers, bánh chưng (square glutinous rice cake) and vegetable pickles are also stocked in large quantities and at good prices with promotions of up to 50 per cent.”

Stocks of other commonly consumed items during Tết such as confectionery and beverages have increased by 20 per cent, he said.

WinCommerce has also increased the supply of dry foods and regional specialties, he added.

Forecasting shopping demand during Tết to be equal to or higher than before the pandemic, Central Retail’s GO!, Big C and Tops Market supermarket chains have also stocked up abundantly.

They have increased stocks of pork, beef, seafood, vegetables, and fruits and are selling a range of fruit hampers with imported items and specialties from around Việt Nam.

Discounts on Tết goods

A wide range of Tết goods are on display at a supermarket. In addition to stockpile goods abundantly to meet any surge in demand during Tết, retailers have also launched big promotions on the occasion. — Photo courtesy of Central Retail

Retailers have also launched big promotions on the occasion.

Saigon Co.op said its supermarkets would have promotion programmes from now until the Lunar New Year, including discounts on thousands of products of up to 50 per cent and even higher during a 10-day period before the holiday, gifts, higher reward points than normal and gift vouchers.

There is a 15 per cent discount on some three million Tết gift hampers.

Saigon Co.op is also implementing a programme called ‘Gắn kết tình thân - Tết xa thêm gần’ under which customers can order gift baskets at any Co.opmart and Co.opXtra supermarket or online at https: //cooponline.vn, and get them delivered almost for free to more than 40 provinces and cities.

Go!, Big C and Tops Market are offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on hundreds of products and discounts on gift hampers.

From December 22 to January 4, shoppers at GO! and Big C with bills of VNĐ500,000 (US$21.2) or more will get a lucky draw coupon with prizes worth more than VNĐ1.5  billion ($63,615).

In addition to offering discounts on up to 50 per cent on many products, WinMart/ Winmart+ stores nationwide will gift customers with a 750g bag of Ngọc Nương rice when they buy a half MEATDeli ‘Gà ngon LaChanh’ (chicken with fresh lemon leaves) and two bags for buying a whole until January 21.

According to market research company Kantar Worldpanel Vietnam, following two years of low sales during Tết, things are expected to look up for the fast moving consumer goods industry this time around since the Vietnamese economy has recovered and consumers have a positive outlook on economic prospects.

The occurrence of two major holidays in a single month (New Year and Lunar New Year) is expected to provide a boost to spending.

Tết is the busiest season of the year in Việt Nam, usually generating massive demand for shopping, gifting and travel. — VNS