Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - Demand for consumer goods during Tet in Ho Chi Minh City was higher thanlast year despite the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Accordingto many businesses, this year customers began their Tet shoppingearlier than usual, and sales ended up around 30 percent higher than last year.
Mostsupermarkets had made careful preparations and stocked up early on high-qualitygoods, with their stocks being 12 - 21.2 percent higher than last year.
Duringthe festival, the number of customers visiting supermarkets to buy freshproduce, processed foods and fruits for Tet spiked,and long lines could be seen in many places.
Retailersalso offered discounts on produce and non-food items - up to 49 percent thelatter - and extended their opening hours to meet the increased shopping demand.
Mobileretailers also went to industrial parks and remote districts to meet shoppingdemand.
Traditionalmarkets also saw increased business.
Butdespite the spike in demand, the prices of most goods remained relativelysteady in HCM City, with some like meat and eggs even seeing slight drops dueto abundant supply.
Flowerprices were not much higher than during normal days, with some being soldat half the prices prevailing during Tet lastyear.
Thecity's Department of Industry and Trade even had to exhort locals to buyflowers to help farmers and businesses before shops could sell their stocks.
Apricotblossoms, one of the most popular Tet flowers,did not sell well after blossoming early due to the abundance of rain.
Pricesof fruits were steady with those of dragon fruit and pomelo falling by half./.
VNA
