Ensure supply to meet year-end shopping needs

To be ready to meet the demand, businesses, supermarkets, and shopping centers across the country have proactively produced and stocked goods, ensuring quality goods and reasonable prices, along with attractive promotional policies to stimulate shopping.

The Domestic Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that trade and service activities at the end of the year were quite vibrant in preparation for the big holidays at the end of the year and the new year 2024. The demand for food, foodstuffs, accommodation, catering, and travel services continued to maintain an upward trend compared to the same period last year.

In particular, the preparation of goods for Tet has been actively implemented by localities and enterprises early on, along with the Market Stabilization Program with a variety of goods, meeting people's needs well, and the prices of goods, especially essential goods, are quite stable.

To prepare the supply of goods in the last month of the year and the Lunar New Year when people's consumption demand increases, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Directive No. 13/CT-BCT dated October 30, 2023 on implementing solutions to ensure supply-demand balance and market stabilization at the end of 2023 and the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024.

Implementing the direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, up to now, some localities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Ninh Thuan... have issued plans to implement the market stabilization program in the last months of the year and the Lunar New Year 2024.

Specifically, localities assign tasks to enterprises producing and distributing goods to proactively prepare goods sources to serve the consumption needs of people in the province. At the same time, organize fixed and mobile points of sale in combination with the program of bringing Vietnamese goods to rural areas and the program of stabilizing the market to bring goods to all people at stable prices.

It is expected that purchasing power this year may increase by over 10% compared to the same period last year. Enterprises have also proactively prepared the supply of essential goods very early, with the amount of stock increasing by 10-25% compared to the same period.

Notably, in the context of economic difficulties, to stimulate domestic consumption, many businesses have planned to implement promotional programs and discount many essential consumer products, especially in the month before Tet.

The Department of Industry and Trade of localities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have made efforts to work with many units, based on the main goals: market stabilization, organizing promotional programs, connecting supply and demand, paying special attention to regional linkages - coordinating with other provinces and cities to create a stable source of goods in quantity, ensuring the best quality to serve the great needs of the city.

Ms. Le Viet Nga - Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department shared that regarding the supply of goods, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed businesses that often supply goods used a lot during the Lunar New Year such as gasoline, essential goods, and food to ensure supply. Furthermore, food safety and price stability must be ensured.

In addition, Vietnam's leading e-commerce distribution systems such as Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, Sendo... have greatly supported the consumption of products and goods. Thanks to that, in difficult traditional commercial areas, depending on traders, products are now directly distributed to consumers through modern distribution systems and e-commerce platforms...

Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Lan - Acting Director of Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade informed: To serve the people during the 2024 Lunar New Year, Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade is actively coordinating with departments, branches, and localities to implement the market stabilization program approved by Hanoi People's Committee. From there, build and implement a plan to serve Tet with a total value of essential consumer goods groups with high demand during Tet of over 40 trillion VND, an increase of about 10% compared to 2023.

Currently, all essential goods and items in high demand during Tet are being prepared by manufacturing enterprises and delivered to the distribution system.

Distribution systems have negotiated with manufacturing enterprises about supply and prices 3 months, even 6 months ago to fully prepare goods and reserves according to the direction of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade to meet consumer demand before, during and after Tet.

In particular, many businesses have higher reserves than the level assigned by the Department of Industry and Trade and Hanoi City to be ready to deal with emergency situations, epidemic situations or force majeure situations that may occur, thereby being able to proactively meet the needs of people during this Lunar New Year.

Besides, other items such as electricity, electronics, electrical appliances, and fashion items are also of great interest to businesses to boost demand at the end of the year.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Lan, due to the difficult economic conditions in the world and in the country, people tend to tighten their spending and only buy essential goods. To stimulate consumption, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has advised the city to issue concentrated promotional programs.

Thereby, businesses proactively launch attractive promotional programs, connect with manufacturers to reduce costs and launch promotional programs from production facilities to distribution facilities, serving consumer needs during the Lunar New Year.

Similarly, Ms. Phan Thi Khanh Duyen - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Binh Duong province said that the department has planned to prepare 5 groups of products including food; technological food; fresh food and processed food; petroleum products; medicines for humans. The total value of reserved goods is over 11,602 billion VND (excluding petroleum, medicines; of which, the period before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024 is about 2,258 billion VND.

Furthermore, Binh Duong Department of Industry and Trade requests enterprises participating in market stabilization to register the total quantity and value of essential goods reserves for market stabilization throughout 2024; the reserve level of essential goods for market stabilization before, during and after the Lunar New Year (from December 1, 2023 to March 1, 2024).

Currently, 17 businesses and supermarket systems have registered to participate in the market stabilization program and reserve essential goods in 2024 and the Lunar New Year.

At the same time, the department also requested businesses to participate in stabilizing the market, develop a plan to stabilize the pork market, avoid price increases and loss of control at the end of the year; commit to ensuring quantity and selling at the registered stabilization price.

In particular, to ensure the supply chain, circulation of goods, and distribution system in the province (supermarkets, convenience stores, traditional markets), the Department of Industry and Trade requires enterprises producing goods, stores supplying and processing food to operate continuously and stably.

In addition, the Department of Industry and Trade also requested that commercial enterprises and enterprises producing essential goods participate in the market stabilization program by organizing mobile sales or participating in the Happy Market and the program to bring Vietnamese goods to rural areas.

A representative of Vietnam Livestock Industry Corporation (Vissan) informed: The company will supply the market with nearly 1,100 tons of fresh food, an increase of 5% over the same period in 2022 and 3,800 tons of processed food, equivalent to the same period with a total value of goods reaching more than 540 billion VND.

According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, General Director of Saigon Co.op, along with preparing goods, Saigon Co.op also introduced many new products to diversify customers' choices such as Tet grapefruit Phuc Loc Tai, Tet gift baskets of regional specialties, essential gift boxes for businesses, organizations, etc. Even if customers buy in large quantities, they will enjoy attractive discount policies and have the company logo printed on the packaging.

Similarly, Mr. Phung The Vinh - Deputy General Director of Kangaroo Group, member of Vietnam Retail Association said, the year-end season is the biggest shopping season of the year for all businesses, including businesses belonging to Vietnam Retail Association and Kangaroo.

Therefore, the group decided to use the largest promotional budget of the year for the golden season at the end of the year to accompany localities and partners in sales, offering non-profit product models to stimulate consumer demand.

In addition, the group also builds and develops specific and suitable products, especially in the middle and popular segments. In particular, the group also focuses on preparing goods and distribution channels across the country for the year-end consumption season, aiming to give everyone the opportunity to shop and celebrate Tet happily.