Hanoi supermarkets increase inventories

Supermarkets in Hanoi are stocking two or three times their normal volumes of goods and increasing warehouse capacity to brace for a worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The acting director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, said there is abundant supply of essential items and fresh foods, and no threat of shortages. Fearing the novel coronavirus, many Hanoi residents are stockpiling meat, vegetables and rice to avoid venturing outdoors.

Big C supermarkets have doubled their normal fresh food inventories and increased dry goods by 30 percent, Nguyen Thi Bich Van communications director of Central Retail Vietnam, which owns the chain, said.

Aeon supermarkets have stocks of two to four times the normal volumes of fresh groceries and 130 percent of that of dry goods since last week. Aeon Vietnam procurement director Tran Thu Quynh said the chain has worked with suppliers to secure extra stocks in case of an emergency and expanded warehouse capacity and inventories of frozen goods.

Vinmart/Vinmart+ supermarkets have tripled and quintupled their stocks of groceries and eggs and vegetables.

But admittedly there remain difficulties in terms of transportation and personnel.

Quynh said certain goods that are imported or brought from the south, like fresh seafood and local fruits, are facing major delays as suppliers face challenges related to production and transportation amid the implementation of social distancing in the 19 southern localities.

Over the last week Hanoi has assigned priority to vehicles transporting essential items. The capital city impose a 15-day social distancing campaign starting 6 a.m. Saturday as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.