Supermarkets apply promotions to stimulate demand. — Photo baotintuc.vn

The shelves of many supermarkets are full of products with special packaging and designs for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet).

While preparing a large amount of goods for Tet, supermarkets have also simultaneously reduced prices to stimulate demand as people have tightened their spending during the pandemic.

Retail businesses said that the Lunar New Year market would be greatly affected by COVID-19.

Consumers are tending to save and tighten spending, and activities with large gatherings, meetings and festivals will be limited. Therefore, it is forecast that purchasing power will not increase compared to last year, and is likely to be lower.

Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, director of supermarket chain Co.opmart Ha Noi, said that the supermarket was currently using many promotions and discounts of up to 50 per cent on thousands of products.

In the 10 days before Tet, it could continue to lower prices further, she added.

Dung said that due to the increasingly complicated pandemic in Ha Noi, many people were afraid to go to crowded places, so they bought goods online.

Consumption of goods was at an average level, and purchasing only increased at weekends, she added. The main selected items were rice, instant noodles, health care products, detergents, soap, fresh produce, and daily food.

Co.opmart Ha Noi has stocked up on essential goods on the occasion of the Lunar New Year with a total value of nearly VND6 trillion (nearly US$261 million) to ensure good service before, during and after the Lunar New Year, an increase of nearly 20 per cent compared to the previous year.

A representative of Big C supermarket said that the stock of goods to serve the needs of the Lunar New Year focuses mainly on domestic goods, paying special attention to traditional products.

Nguyen Thi Bich Van, communications director of Central Retail Viet Nam, said, GO! and Big C were preparing for a 20 per cent higher supply of pork and 25 per cent more chicken compared to last year.

The whole system also prepares all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits that can be served throughout and after Tet, added Van.

In addition to ensuring the supply, GO! and Big C are also confidently committed to ensuring good prices for products during Tet this year, with many attractive promotions for seasonal and traditional Tet products, both for in-store and online purchases.

The Ha Noi Department of Industry and Trade said that there have been 44 production, business and co-operative units registered to participate in the market stabilisation programme, with the total amount of registered goods at VND18 trillion, bringing stable goods to more than 20,000 selling points. — VNS