Goods for Lunar New Year: Still looking forward to many aspects!

(Baonghean) - Up to this point, many businesses, supermarkets, and stores in the province have stockpiled goods to prepare for the Tet business season. In addition, the Provincial People's Committee and relevant agencies have also implemented a plan to support businesses in stockpiling goods; at the same time, they have strengthened market inspection and control to protect consumer rights.

Ready to supply Tet goods

According to Ms. Tran Thi My Ha - Head of Trade Management Department, Department of Industry and Trade, the economic difficulties have significantly affected people's spending. To ensure the rights and interests of the people, the Department of Industry and Trade and many enterprises have completed the price stabilization plan very early to serve the people's needs. The total value of goods that enterprises produce, reserve and supply to the market is about more than 100 billion VND, and will focus on stabilizing prices during the two months of Tet until February 28, 2014. Therefore, the prices of goods will not increase. Currently, although enterprises are still concerned about the ability to consume goods during Tet, they are still preparing a plan to fully supply goods and are committed to ensuring the supply with stable prices of essential goods such as sugar, rice, sticky rice, cooking oil, not allowing shortages or sudden price increases.

Implementing the price stabilization program of the Provincial People's Committee, Nghe An Agricultural Products Export Corporation borrowed 4.25 billion VND to prepare 100,000 liters of cooking oil, 100 tons of rice. Due to the strong increase in demand for essential goods during Tet, the unit invested 20 billion VND to prepare hundreds of tons of rice and sticky rice to meet market demand while ensuring consumer rights. In addition to the supported capital of 4.775 billion VND, Vietnam - Laos Economic Cooperation Investment Joint Stock Company also invested an additional 15 billion VND to sign a contract to purchase Tet goods in reserve, increasing 4 times compared to normal business months; of which 70% of the goods were delivered to consumers in districts and towns in the province.

Since the beginning of October 2013, Huu Nghi Joint Stock Company has proactively reviewed market demand, counted key products during Tet to plan for early import of goods. Currently, the unit's reserve of goods is about 30 billion VND with main products being cooking oil, cigarettes, matches, confectionery, ham, beer, soft drinks of all kinds... Not only meeting the demand for quantity of goods for Tet, businesses have also proactively strengthened distribution channels, ensuring that goods at stable prices are delivered to consumers through mobile sales programs. This not only helps facilitate the circulation and distribution of goods throughout the province, but also contributes to stabilizing market prices, preventing "shortage" of goods and price fever.

Customers choose to buy candy at Intimex Supermarket.

Not now, but a month ago, supermarkets had plans to prepare to ensure sufficient supply of goods and try to stabilize prices of goods during Tet sales. At BigC Vinh supermarket, cold cuts and traditional items for Tet such as ham, sausage, and banh chung, which are ordered to be produced according to the typical flavors of each region, have been carefully prepared, increasing by 20% compared to last year. Tet gift items have also been completed, including about 20 different types of baskets and gift boxes designed with many price ranges from 65,000 - 2,000,000 VND, products of reputable and quality brands. In addition to directly increasing the reserve of Tet goods, many supermarkets have also linked up and signed contracts with manufacturers and suppliers to be ready to supply a large amount of goods when needed... At the markets, especially Vinh wholesale market, goods for Tet have also been stocked and sold by traders in a very diverse manner. From dried goods such as bamboo shoots, vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and balls... to cakes, candies, jams, and seeds, there are hundreds of different types and designs.

"There are many aspects to look at"...

Raw materials, labor, distribution plans... businesses have all prepared for the Tet business season. However, when the economic situation has not improved much, purchasing power is still stagnant, the expectation for the biggest business season of the year is only a "little" growth, not daring to dream much. That is the general assessment of manufacturing and trading enterprises about current purchasing power. According to Mr. Nguyen Hong Thai, Director of the Trade Center - Huu Nghi Joint Stock Company: "Purchasing power is currently at a level of maintenance rather than growth, consumers are being frugal with spending, so purchasing power is expected to focus on the days before Tet. In such business conditions, we advocate not developing new products but focusing on strong items and controlling prices".

December is considered the most profitable month of the year for small traders selling essential goods, but now they are in a "sluggish" business situation. Another reason that makes small traders worried is the situation of fluctuating prices. The cause is not from the sellers but from the suppliers and distributors. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Le - owner of a candy store on Ho Tung Mau Street (Vinh City): "Last year, the store had just imported 800 crates of Larue beer to prepare for Tet sales when the manufacturer launched a promotion program of buying 20 crates and getting 1 free. Worried about low purchasing power and encountering the same situation as last year, I did not dare to buy much beer this year, but I also regret that if the purchasing power increases sharply in the days before Tet, the goods will be "out of stock" because there is no reserve source, as from the end of December until now, the price of beer has increased by an average of 10,000 VND/crate. With the current way of distributing and trading goods, the price of goods being "pushed" up during Tet is partly due to the manufacturer and supplier, not just small traders like us".

In previous years, around the end of the 11th lunar month, civil servants, people with stable incomes and people living in urban areas started to shop. In the countryside, although later, they also started shopping for Tet at the beginning of December. However, this year, although Tet is right at the door, both buyers and sellers are "sad", waiting for the days near Tet to see if the situation will be better or not. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Anh (Sacombank employee) said: "Every year, clothes, shoes and sandals for the whole family have been chosen and purchased by me since the beginning of December. Because at that time, there are usually many products, beautiful designs, and few people go shopping, so there is no need to jostle, and there is time to choose. This year, the economy is difficult, salaries and bonuses have been cut a lot, so I have to consider and spend on necessary expenses during Tet." For people in rural areas, having children working far away from home does not expect the money that workers bring back to buy things. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuoc (in Hamlet 4 - Nam Cuong Commune - Nam Dan) said: "I have two children working as workers in Ho Chi Minh City. Every year, at this time, they send money back to their mother to buy things in advance, but this year, I heard the children announce that they will not return home for Tet because their salary and bonus are not enough."

According to the authorities, one of the main reasons for the low purchasing power this year is the economic recession, many businesses are facing difficulties in production and business activities. Especially businesses with a large number of staff and workers such as construction, banking... Due to difficulties in production and business activities, workers' salaries and bonuses have been reduced, people have had to tighten spending, leading to quite low purchasing power this year. Notably, in the last months of the year, at wholesale markets, prices of some essential items such as beef, pork, and chicken are increasing slightly by 5-8%. This has encouraged farmers to boost herd restoration and increase the number of animals raised because they are starting to make a profit, contributing to a large increase in supply for the Tet market.

Thus, if from now until the Lunar New Year, localities do a good job of disease prevention, with abundant pork, chicken and beef production, it is forecasted that food prices this year will have little fluctuation. As for large distribution units and sales organizations in Vinh City, up to this point, they have all completed their plans to prepare and import Tet goods. Supermarket systems and large stores and agents have all planned to prepare many types of essential consumer goods, 2-3 times higher than in normal months. Moreover, due to the low purchasing power in recent times, to stimulate consumption and improve competitiveness, sales units have implemented many promotional and discount programs and committed to not suddenly increasing product prices to attract and retain customers. In addition, in recent years, the consumption habits of many people have also changed. Instead of buying food to stock up for the whole week during Tet like before, people now only buy enough for the 3 days of Tet. From the 2nd to the 3rd day of Tet, most of the traditional markets and supermarkets have returned to normal operation, so the pressure on supply during Tet will no longer exist, and the phenomenon of "out of stock" and food price increases like in previous years will also rarely occur.

Ngoc Anh