Customers look over Tet gifts at a Co.opmart supermarket in HCM City. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - With justthree weeks to go for Tet (theLunar New Year), the market for gift hampers has heated up with supermarkets,markets and shops offering a range of them to cater to both business andindividual customers.
Saigon Co.op, which owns the Co.opmart supermarket chain, is offering more than40 kinds at prices ranging from 99,000 VND (4.36 USD) to 1.999 million VND (88USD).
The hampers usually have confectionery, tea, coffee, cashew nut, jam, wine andbeverages made by prestigious brands, both domestic and foreign ones.
From now until January 17, Co.opmart and Co.opXtra supermarkets nationwide willoffer free delivery of gift baskets in provinces and cities where they haveoutlets.
Big C supermarket is selling more than 100,000 gift hampers of 17 differentkinds at 79,000-1.5 million VND.
Republic of Korean supermarket chain Lotte Mart also has many kinds of hampersbased on various themes to cater to clients’ diverse tastes and demands.
Many shops at traditional markets like Tan Dinh, Thi Nghe and Ba Chieu are alsodisplaying various kinds of hampers.
Tran Thanh Lan, a trader at Thi Nghe Market, said that “Apart from these already-wrapped hampers, customers want to buy gifts and my shoppacks the gifts for them.”
Her shop also takes orders on the phone and delivers gifts, she said.
“Sales are expected to increase sharply from the middle of the lunar month.” Tet will start on January 28.
Offers for Tet hampersare also inundating shopping websites these days, but buyers are advisedvigilance when shopping on these sites.
NguyenHuynh Trang, deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, saidhis department has kept a close eye on prices by getting regular updates fromthe market.
Companies and distributors can meet the demand for goods during the nation’sbiggest festival, supply is abundant and prices are under the closestsupervision ever, she said.
There will be no shortage of goods or sudden price surges during Tet, while quality will be strictly controlled, shesaid.
A Big C spokesperson said the supermarket has enough stocks for Tet and they are 20-30 percent higher than lastyear.
The supermarket has pledged not to increase prices between December 13 andJanuary 27, except those of fruits and vegetables, fresh and frozen foods,beers, milk and other dairy products.
Big C, Co.opmart, Lotte Mart and many other supermarkets have launched Tet promotions.
According to the department, the total value of goods to be stocked in HCM Cityduring the one month to Tet (December 29 to January 27) will be 9.7 trillion VND (427.3million USD), with goods under the city’s price stabilisation programmeaccounting for 3.7 trillion VND.
The city administration has instructed the Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment to intensify checks of food production and trading establishmentsas well as the transport of foods to the city to safeguard public health duringthe Lunar New Year.-VNA
VNA
