Sales of air conditioners and fruit in HCM City soared in recent days as a heat wave hit the area.

Over the weekend, Nguyen Kim, one of the largest chains of electronics stores in the city, was packed with customers looking for air conditioners, fans and refrigerators.

A similar scene was seen at the Thien Hoa store in Go Vap District.

Tran Tan Hoang Hau, marketing director of Thien Hoa Electronics and Furniture Shopping Centre, said the sales of air conditioners, fans and refrigerators increased dramatically in the last two weeks. Some items saw a 300 per cent increase in sales.

This year, the hot season came a little later than previous years.

Demand for air conditioners was sluggish after Tet (Lunar New Year) in January, but electronics centres made sure they had ample supply for the season.

A representative from Nguyen Kim said the demand for electronic maintenance had recently risen, including cleaning and repairing air conditioners. Costs of maintenance services have risen by 15 to 20 per cent compared to the rainy season.

On average, cleaning an air conditioner costs VND150,000-200,000 (US$6.5-8.7) while installation costs VND300,000-350,000 ($13-15.2).

Demand for vegetables, fruit

Hot weather has also caused a spike in demand for certain foods, especially water-based fruit and vegetables.

Vo Thanh Duong, deputy head of Phuoc An Co-operative in Binh Chanh District, said that prices of ingredients to make nuoc mat (traditional water usually made from sugarcane and imperatae) have risen.

Duong said the price of a package of nuoc mat ingredients produced by his company had increased by VND2,000-3,000, compared to when the weather was cooler.

Demand for cucumbers and bitter melons rose, but their prices remained stable at VND10,000 and VND11,000-12,000 per kilo, respectively. As vegetable yields improved during the dry season, their prices did not change much, Duong said.

Citrus fruits like oranges, pomelos and tangerines are also typically favoured in hot weather conditions.

However, Dung Quy Dong, owner of Quy Dong Farm in Binh Phuoc Province, said the price for these fruits has increased as the harvest season has not arrived yet.

The price of tangerines sold at orchards in the southeast region went up by VND5,000-7,000 to VND22,000–27,000 per kilo.

A kilo of green-skin pomelos now sells for VND45,000–55,000, up by about VND10,000-15,000.

According to Dong, demand for citrus fruits will continue to surge as the heat wave has also affected the northern region. — VNS