Vegetables with a green tick at a supermarket in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY —  As the Tết (Lunar New Year) Holiday approaches, supermarkets and shopping centres across HCM City are seeing a surge in customer traffic, particularly for Tết-related goods. Products bearing the city’s “green tick of responsibility” label, which indicates clear origin and verified quality, are increasingly visible on shelves and drawing strong consumer attention.

At AEON Mall Tân Phú Celadon, shoppers are stocking up on essential items such as rice, beans, vegetables and meat for Tết meals. Many consumers say the green tick label gives them added confidence.

Retailers report rising demand for these products. AEON Vietnam currently has 130 stock-keeping units certified under the green tick programme, with all sampled products meeting quality standards.

The retailer is encouraging suppliers to expand green tick coverage to Tết items such as confectionery, candied fruits and regional specialties. Meanwhile, Bách Hóa Xanh has 1,558 products participating in the programme, with monthly consumption of green tick items growing by 6-7 per cent.

After more than 18 months of implementation, the programme has gained strong market traction. To date, 12 major modern retail chains, including Saigon Co.op, AEON, Central Retail, MM Mega Market, Bách Hóa Xanh and WinCommerce have joined. A total of 389 suppliers and 4,012 products have been certified and are widely distributed across the city.

According to the municipal industry and trade sector, sales of green tick products have risen by over 20 per cent compared to the early stages of the programme, reflecting a clear shift toward safer and more consistent-quality consumption.

Initially piloted for vegetables and fruits from provinces such as Lâm Đồng and Đồng Nai, the programme has expanded to cover meat, eggs, processed foods, confectionery and Tết specialties, significantly diversifying the product range and widening participation nationwide.

Võ Hoàng Anh, Director of Private Label Development at the HCM City Union of Trade Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op), said the retailer was a pioneer in joining the green tick programme, bringing together nearly 100 suppliers with more than 1,200 certified products.

He noted that although Saigon Co.op has rolled out communications and traceability codes for green tick products across its more than 800 retail outlets, customer awareness remains uneven. This calls for stronger investment in communications, more comprehensive supplier evaluation criteria, and incentive mechanisms such as rewards, green credit and financial support for businesses that comply well.

Nguyễn Phương, Deputy Director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, affirmed that inspections and quality supervision will be tightened, with test results made public. Violators will be sampled regularly and removed from the programme, while compliant enterprises will be recognised and supported to promote adherence and foster a healthy, fair competitive environment.

The city’s Department of Industry and Trade plans to further expand supplier participation while tightening quality inspections. Regular sampling, public disclosure of results and strict removal of violators from the programme will be enforced, alongside recognition and support measures to encourage compliance and fair competition during the peak Tết season. — VNS