Supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City have been shoring up their inventories to secure sufficient commodities for local residents, as the city enters its fourth week of social distancing with stricter measures.

Ho Chi Minh City began its social distancing drive from May 31 due to serious COVID-19 developments.

Authorities intensified prevention and control measures from Sunday by shutting down makeshift markets and public transport services.

Local retailers are facing huge pressure as many supermarkets and stores have been closed after COVID-19 patients were discovered to have visited these venues.

Goods at markets and supermarkets are still abundant, while purchasing power now tends to drop, according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

The decrease is understandable as many residents had stockpiled essential items since the beginning of the social distancing period.

To prepare for different pandemic scenarios, local supermarkets and convenience stores have increased their inventories by 30-40 percent compared to normal days, especially such essentials as rice, instant noodles, cooking oil, condiments, purified water, canned food, milk, vegetables, and fruits.

To meet rising demand for online shopping, supermarket chains including Co.opmart, Satra, Big C, and AEON Vietnam have coordinated with their partners to offer fast delivery and ensure that the products are always fresh and of good quality.

"We have an abundant and stable supply of goods and are offering many promotions to customers during this pandemic,” said a representative of Saigon Co.op, which runs the Co.opmart supermarket chain.

Co.opmart has assigned more employees to work for its online shopping service and established its own delivery team, he added.

A Satra representative stated that the retailer had begun online sales on the G1-Mart application.

Satra has increased orders for essential goods and sought new suppliers to diversify products.

It cooperates with Binh Dien wholesale market to find the supply of fresh items such as meat, fish, vegetables, and seafood to meet customer demand.

The retailer has supplied food and other items to residents in locked-down areas, the representative elaborated.

An official from the industry and trade department said the agency has worked with the Department of Transport to create favorable conditions for the transportation of goods from other localities to Ho Chi Minh City.

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