Leading retailers in HCM City have been stocking up on goods to ensure there is adequate supply and no price shocks until year end. — VNS Photo Văn Châu

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Industry and Trade held an online meeting with a representative of supermarkets, food stores and traditional markets to ensure supply of essential items is adequate in the next six months.

Nguyễn Nguyên Phương, its deputy director, said the city would work closely with relevant agencies and businesses to ensure the COVID-19 outbreak does not disrupt the supply of essential goods or causes price hikes, and carry out food safety inspections to ensure people could shop safely.

According to authorities, ensuring supply of goods is the top priority amid the epidemic.

The department has called on all production units, distribution systems and retailers to stockpile essential goods, especially price-stabilised items, to ensure supply.

Retailers such as Saigon Co.op, Central Retail, Lotte Mart, and AEON Mall have stocked enough goods and are taking measures to safeguard the health of customers and staff amid the rising community incidence of COVID-19, according to the department.

The Saigon Union of Trade Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op) said it is seeking to increase stocks of essential goods at its stores.

A spokesperson said thanks to the very large volumes of stockpiles, essential goods, price-stabilised items and dry and frozen goods would be available in abundance in the next six months.

Fresh food supply is also steady, thanks to smooth shipping, he said.

Nguyễn Anh Đức, general director of Saigon Co.op, said the co-operative’s retail systems, Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food, and Co.op Smile, have increased inventories of basic necessities such as sugar, rice, cooking oil, salt, fish sauce, meat, eggs, and dry foods besides hand sanitisers, soaps and anti-bacterial cloth masks to ensure steady supply and prices for at least the next six months.

“People should not stock up on goods.”

The retailer is also keeping a close eye on the Covid situation and the market in provinces and cities to co-ordinate between suppliers, its central warehouse and outlets to transport goods in time.

Co.opmart and Co.opXtra supermarkets have co-ordinated with health agencies to disinfect their stores and epidemic prevention measures and test thousands of their staff.

A Big C supermarket spokesperson also said all stores across the country are open as usual and have increased stocks of essential products by two to five times.

A Lotte Mart representative said timings remain unchanged and there is abundant supply of fresh foods at all stores.

Đinh Quang Khôi, marketing manager of MM Mega Market Việt Nam, said in the last two days sales of various items increased by up to 15 per cent.

MM Mega Market would ensure adequate supply of goods until year end, he assured.

Phương added that retailers should prioritise local goods over imports, and this was an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to show their prestige, enhance their brands, attract domestic consumers, and aim for sustainable growth. — VNS