Local retailers will increase the supply of essential products to Hanoi if needed so that the circulation of goods in the capital city will remain uninterrupted during the implementation of the strict social distancing order.

The commitment was made after the detection of novel coronavirus carriers were found involved in several delivery agents in the city, including Thanh Nga Food Supply Company, a supplier of fresh meat to Hanoi-based supermarkets, which led to the closure of some stores in Hanoi. 

Local consumers are shopping at Big C Thang Long supermarket during the social distancing period. Photos: The Hanoi Times

Some retailers have built a plan to diversify sources of goods supply and prevent interruptions. Chairman of Hanoi-based BRG Retail Nguyen Thai Dung told The Hanoi Times after the suspension of Thanh Nga Food Supply Company, supermarkets’ owners have asked large-scale suppliers such as Minh Hang and C.P. Vietnam Corporation to increase supply to supermarkets at unchanged prices.

Dung from BRG Retail, owner of the Hapro and Fuji Mart supermarket chains, said the retailer has increased the stockpile of essential commodities by 300% at each point of sale and by ten times at the central warehouse.

Northern Region Director of Big C Le Manh Phong said Big C's stockpile increased by 30-50% compared to the daily amount. The stock of some items is in high demand and fresh food rose by 100%. 

According to the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, the supply volume of essentials is expected to triple in the next three months with a value of about VND194 trillion (US$8.4 billion).

In order to secure the circulation of goods, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade made public a list of more than 8,000 supermarkets, convenience stores, and 455 wet markets across the city providing essentials. 

AEON's mobile store in Long Bien District.

Some 800 selling points in communes and wards have been put into operation by the VinShop system. Another 472 selling points at Hanoi Post’s post offices will soon be operational. Recently, AEON Vietnam also opened five mobile stores in Long Bien and Ha Dong districts, and the fleet of mobile stores is expected to increase in the coming days.

Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Acting Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade said the department is looking for vacant land, suspended bus stations, stadiums, or markets at the city’s gateways to set up good transshipment places, where will replace wholesale markets such as Long Bien, Phung Khoang and Minh Khai, which are closed at the moment. 

Vu Thi Hau, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Retailers Association suggested Hanoi should set up field wholesale markets, or a field warehouse in vacant lots in the city downtown or in suburban districts. 

“This helps replace the closed wholesale markets, providing a venue for goods exchange avoiding disruptions in the supply chain,” she told The Hanoi Times.

Currently, online channels such as e-commerce platforms, phones, or “going to the markets” have all been promoted and become alternatives for shoppers, reducing the load on the traditional direct selling channel.