HCM CITY — Some traditional markets in HCM City on Monday morning were still flooded and closed after storm No 9 pounded the city all day on Sunday.

Consumers flocked to convenience stores and supermarkets to shop for essentials and supplies for the week.

Thanh Trúc, a resident in Bình Thanh District, said that the heavy rain on November 25 combined with high tides flooded streets around her apartment building until Monday morning.

Văn Thánh market near her building was flooded and closed.

“I went to a convenience store near my apartment to buy vegetables, fresh meat and necessary items,” she said.

Thanh Lan, who shops at a supermarket in District 3, said: “I usually go to the supermarket to buy food and other things for the coming week on Sunday. But I couldn’t go out because of the heavy rain.”

Lan bought vegetables, tomatoes and different kinds of meat to use for the week.

Shoppers at the supermarket said that food prices there had remained the same.  

According to Saigon Co.op, sales of many products such as instant noodles, cooking oil, and fresh and dried food had increased strongly last week before the storm hit.

Nguyễn Anh Đức, deputy general director of Saigon Co.op, said the supermarket system’s large inventory of goods would be able to meet demand during the post-storm period.
After the storm, the supermarket chain will not increase prices, but has worked with suppliers to reduce prices by 10-25 per cent on products such as pork, goby, white cabbage, eggplant, bitter melon, tomatoes, detergent, instant noodles, rice noodles, and spices, he said.

According to a spokesperson for Lotte Mart, the supermarket chain has also increased its stock of goods to meet demand after the storm.

The number of shoppers at Lotte on Monday morning was rather high, with fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and eggs among the bestsellers, he said.

At traditional markets, excluding markets temporarily closed due to flooding, the  volume of goods transported to the markets on Monday was lower than on normal days.

Many traders said they had not bought many goods on Monday because they were unsure if the rain would end on Monday.

Many stalls at traditional markets were closed on Monday since traders were afraid of low sales because of the inclement weather. — VNS