While many people continue spring outings, family visits and pagoda trips, demand for fresh food and essentials for early-year meals has risen markedly.

The distribution system continued to play a key role in market stabilisation. Convenience store chains such as Circle K, FamilyMart, 7-Eleven and GS25 remain open throughout the nine-day holiday, ensuring adequate supplies of essential goods.

Several major retail systems have reopened with suitable operating hours in some localities, including AEON, MM Mega Market, GO! and Saigon Co.op. AEON Mall resumed operations from 4pm on the first day of Tet (February 17) and continues serving customers on the second day.

At traditional markets, many traders have returned, mainly offering fresh food, vegetables, fruit and worship items, contributing to a more dynamic trading atmosphere.

Consumer demand focuses on fresh produce such as vegetables, seafood, pork and beef as households diversify meals after protein-rich and preserved Tet dishes. Fresh flowers and fruit for offerings maintain stable sales.

Prices remain largely unchanged from the pre-Tet period. Supermarkets are keeping listed prices stable and rolling out New Year promotions, with no reports of shortages or unreasonable price hikes.

Departments of Industry and Trade of provinces and cities reported that Tet supply plans were made early and aligned with demand forecasts. Total stockpiled goods value rose 10–15% compared to normal months, while major distributors increased essential goods stocks by 20–40%, focusing on food, processed products, confectionery, beverages and petrol.

Localities organised Tet fairs and mobile sales points in industrial parks as well as remote, border and island areas to ensure access to goods at reasonable prices. Supply – demand connectivity between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other localities was strengthened to promote regional specialties and OCOP (One Commune, One Product) items.

In the modern retail channel, systems such as Lotte Mart, WinMart and Central Retail expanded supplies, rolled out promotions and boosted online sales and home delivery services, easing pressure on traditional outlets during the peak season.

The market stabilisation programme has been implemented in all the 34 provinces and cities. In Hanoi, 19 participating units operate about 10,700 sales points while in Ho Chi Minh City, more than 89 units are involved, with goods at stabilised prices accounting for 23–43% of market share depending on product categories. All products sold under the programme are domestically produced with clear origins, and enterprises pledge to sell them 5–10% below market prices while keeping prices stable before, during and after Tet.

From late the 12th lunar month to the second day of Tet, supply and demand remained balanced. Purchasing power rose slightly year-on-year. Fresh food prices increased 4–5% from last year, pork rose 5–15%, while rice prices fell 12–15%.

The market is expected to become more active as retail systems fully reopen in the coming days, with stable prices and sufficient supplies ensured, the agency noted.

Urgent measures ordered to ease customs clearance of food and goods

VOV.VN - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered relevant ministries and localities to take urgent measures to ease bottlenecks in customs clearance of food and other goods, following reports of congestion linked to the implementation of new food safety regulations.