Ha Noi and HCM City residents have finally geared up for Tet, the Lunar New Year as could be seen by the big crowds in supermarkets over the weekend.

Nguyen Thi Hang, a customer at Ha Noi’s Fivimart supermarket, spent almost VND2 million (US$114.3) on essential goods for the largest festival of the country, including sticky rice, fish sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, chestnut and sweets.

Last weekend, Fivimart along with other supermarkets like Big C, Thai Ha and Hapro Mart, served thousands of customers. Customers came from Ha Noi and neighbouring provinces, such as Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Hai Duong.

Managers of supermarkets in Ha Noi and HCM City said their sales finally started picking up last weekend.

Ngo Van Hai, deputy business director at Citimart said, purchases of sweets, beverages and cooking oil at his supermarket increased.

Duong Thi Quynh Trang, director of external relations at Big C, said over the past few days purchases of dried goods, household appliances and electronic products increased sharply. Especially, gift baskets were bestsellers at the supermarket.

Nguyen Anh Hong, director of Maximark, said the number of customers at the supermarket had increased constantly every day in recent days.

The increase of shopping at the supermarkets is much later than usual with enterprises struggling to pay bonuses to workers. Enterprises could not pay bonuses for their workers as high or as early as in the previous year, because of the global and domestic economic challenges.

Consumers have tightened their belts to deal with their lower income this year, so they are shopping later and for less than last year.

Vu Vinh Phu, chairman of Ha Noi Supermarket Association said shopping at supermarkets in Ha Noi would increase by only 20 per cent in the days leading up to the Tet festival, much lower than previous years. (VNS)