HCM CITY — The year-end peak season has been an excellent one for the retail sector in HCM City.

Retailers stocked popular items adequately for the New Year, both western and Vietnamese, and easily met demand.

“Sài Gòn Co.op’s stocks were mostly sold out and many new items saw sales increase sharply,” Nguyễn Anh Đức, deputy general director of the co-operative, was quoted as saying on the Government website.

He revealed that customers have changed their habit by starting shopping from the western New Year onwards, a month before the Lunar New Year peak season.

“That allows retailers to fully meet the demand in the peak season.”

The stable price, especially of items under the market price stabilisation programme, has greatly contributed to the good sales, he admitted.

After Tết,  Sài Gòn Co.op ran another promotion, offering customers who bought for items worth VNĐ400,000 (US$18) lucky money from January 31 to February 2.

Lotte Mart’s sales increased by 25 per cent in comparison with 2016 as it remained open through Tết.

It also offered promotions both before and after Tết with the top prize being a VNĐ1.5 billion ($67,000) apartment.

The city Department of Industry and Trade reported that during the peak season there was abundant supply of goods and prices were stable.

“Customers have moved from buying a lot of food for Tết to travelling, and enterprises have begun to pay attention to food hygiene.”

It also expects demand to remain high as most people return to work and also those who were travelling during Tết to come back and replenish supplies.

Most supermarkets and malls in HCM City like SC VivoCity, Aeon, Lotte Mart have already opened, with prices remaining the same as before Tết and attracting a lot of customers.

Private shops have increased their prices by 50-100 per cent because they have to pay high salaries to staff. — VNS