Supermarket staff prepare Tet gift hampers in HCM City.— Photo news.zing.vn

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — Supermarkets, markets and shops in HCM City are offering various kinds of Tet (Lunar New Year) gift hampers to meet the demand from businesses as well as individual customers.

Saigon Co.op, which runs Co.opmart supermarkets, is offering hundreds of varieties of hampers at prices ranging from VND59,900 to VND1.7 million (nearly US$80).

For the first time it has launched a free gift delivery services to receivers in any province and city where its stores are located under its "Tet Viet gan ket moi nha" (Vietnamese Tet connects every home) programme.

South Korean supermarket chain Lotte Mart has gift baskets at prices ranging from VND99,000 to VND4 million ($187).

French supermarket Big C is offering gift baskets and boxes priced at VND59,900-1.7 million.

Traders at traditional markets like Tan Dinh, Thi Nghe, and Ba Chieu also have various kinds of Tet gifts. Nguyen Thu Van of Thi Nghe Market expected sales to increase strongly from the middle of the lunar month which falls on February 3. Tet is on the February 19.

All of them mainly contain confectionery, tea, coffee, water melon seeds, wine, seasoning, and cooking oil.

No supply worries

Le Ngoc Dao, deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, said companies are ready to supply enough goods for the nation's biggest holiday, and expected supply to increase by 10-30 per cent over last year.

"There will be no shortage of goods or price surges suddenly during Tet, while goods quality will be strictly controlled," she said.

Nguyen Thi Hanh, general director of Saigon Co.op, said Saigon Co.op would increase supply of essential goods by two or three times from normal months to ensure there is no shortage. It is also set to increase supply of specialties from various parts of the country — like Thanh Oai orange, Dien pomelo from Ha Noi, Phan Thiet dragon fruit wine, Ca Mau dried shrimp, and plum wine.

Besides, it would offer discounts of up to 50 per cent on more than 4,500 products and organise 140 sales trips to the city's remote districts and industrial parks and export processing zones, Hanh said, adding that it is co-operating with the Fatherland Front in districts to give away more than 7,500 gifts to disadvantaged families for them to enjoy Tet.According to Lotte Mart, prices in general are not much different compared to last Tet. — VNS