A supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City is limiting each of its customers to purchase a maximum of only two boxes of a trendy custard cake due to the chaos it has caused.

The viral trend of purchasing custard cakes from Emart in the city’s Go Vap District on TikTok in recent days has led to long queues at the bakery section of the supermarket.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s reporter visited the popular cake counter at Emart Supermarket at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, only to find it empty. 

The salesperson informed customers that the custard cakes were sold out and directed them to a sign that indicated the next batch would be available at 3:30 pm. 

People line up for custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

However, customers had begun queuing up 30 minutes prior. 

At precisely 3:30 pm, buyers crowded around the counter and began competing for the cakes.

The lines quickly disbanded, and everyone rushed in to grab the cake.

“I had watched the [TikTok] videos and seen a large number of customers, so I was mentally prepared in advance,” said Lam Hoang Anh, a 22-year-old shopper. 

“Review clips also suggested arriving 10 minutes before opening to join the queue or getting up early to visit the supermarket at 8:00 am,” Anh added.

Nguyen Do Quynh Nhu, a university junior, made a return visit to the supermarket for the custard cakes after her first attempt had failed.

“I queued for 20 minutes this time,” Nhu said, adding that Emart has lowered the purchase limit from six boxes per customer last time she visited to just two boxes at a time.

Emart Supermarket offers six batches of custard cakes daily, spaced two hours apart. 

It produces 900-1,000 boxes on weekdays and increases offers to 1,000-1,500 boxes on weekends.

The cake is priced at VND28,000 (US$1.14) per box.

People line up for custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

On social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, the keyword “Emart custard cake” has sparked a trend of posts where people purchase these cakes and resell them at inflated prices, ranging from VND40,000 ($1.63) to VND50,000 ($2.04) per box. 

Some individuals have even set up accounts to facilitate the delivery of custard cakes to the north, where they can fetch as much as VND75,000 ($3.05) per box.

A person queues twice in two hours to secure four boxes of custard cakes at Emart Supermarket in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

Following the custard cake’s trend, numerous bakeries in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi increased their production of the cakes to cater to the growing demand. 

However, the custard cakes at Emart continue to be the most sought after by customers.

Meanwhile, many other people were surprised by the sudden popularity of custard cakes. 

“Previously, these custard cakes were abundantly available and often overlooked, but now everyone is buying them up,” said N.T.G., a shopper who claimed her house is right next to Emart.

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