Delivery businesses are operating at full capacity in HCM City since demand is huge, but many orders are stuck because of COVID-19-related restrictions.

The city has strict travel restrictions and locked down many places, causing demand for delivery services to skyrocket.

Duong Thi Luy of District 5 said she had ordered kitchen items from a District 3 store three days earlier, but was yet to receive them.

The streets are largely empty, but it is easy to spot deliverymen in Grab or Now uniforms driving back and forth or queuing up in front of supermarkets and food stores.

Yet, not only consumers, but also online sellers have been hit by delivery delays, which cause buyers to often cancel orders.

Tran Uyen Lan, an online clothing seller, said she sent items to customers through delivery firms since last week, but they did not get delivery and finally her customers cancelled the order. But she still had to pay the delivery fee.

Giao Hang Tiet Kiem, a home delivery business, said since many provinces, cities and regions are blocked it has been unable to ensure smooth deliveries, causing a large backlog.

The orders would be returned to the sellers, who generally have to pay a refund fee, it said. But to support customers, it is waiving the fee for orders from blocked areas between July 15 and September 6.

The lack of drivers also makes the situation worse.

The number of drivers has fallen steeply since many have returned to their hometowns or do not want to work due to fear of the coronavirus.

Delivery service providers also said there are delays since many roads are blocked, and their drivers have to travel roundabout routes. — VNS