People in Vinh City rushed to buy goods due to false rumors.

On the afternoon of August 19th, stores and supermarkets saw a sudden surge in online orders. Photo: Thanh Phuc

On the afternoon of August 19th, rumors circulated on several websites about the implementation of Directive 16+ in Vinh City starting August 20th, causing people to rush to buy food and groceries. All online stores, shops, and supermarkets were overwhelmed with orders. As a result, many major delivery companies in Vinh City were overloaded with orders.

On the afternoon of August 19th, rumors spread online that Vinh City was implementing Directive 16+, causing panic among residents and prompting a rush to buy and stockpile food. (Screenshot: Thanh Phuc)

Ms. Phan Thuan, the owner of a Facebook account specializing in pork sales, said that this afternoon (August 19th),online ordersOverwhelmed, with demand doubling or even tripling compared to previous days.

Ms. Thuan said: "Due to the overwhelming number of orders, especially for food items, our store has had to cancel hundreds of customer orders because we couldn't find a delivery driver. We have to understand and apologize to our customers."

Delivery drivers wait to receive orders. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Unable to place an order.shipperInstead of using professional delivery services, Ms. Thuan had to go to online groups to find freelance shippers. Meanwhile, freelance shippers increased their prices due to the complicated nature of the pandemic. "Normally, each order in the city center costs between 10,000 - 15,000 - 20,000 VND (depending on distance), but today I had to call freelance shippers, and they increased the price by 10,000 VND per order, but I had to accept it," Ms. Thuan added.

Despite working at full capacity, many delivery drivers are still unable to meet customer demand. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Not only individuals but also many businesses, supermarkets, and retail food chains are facing a similar situation due to an overload of orders caused by a shortage of delivery drivers. “Today, information posted online stated that Vinh City would implement Directive 16+ from midnight on August 20th, leading to a sudden surge in online food orders. Major delivery companies in the city are also overwhelmed, causing a backlog of orders and preventing timely deliveries to customers, forcing deliveries to be postponed until late at night,” said Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung, owner of a food chain in Vinh.

Large shipping companies are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of orders, so nearly 400 freelance shippers in Vinh City are working at full capacity but still cannot meet customer demand.

On the afternoon of August 19th, there was a large crowd of people shopping for essential goods at local markets and grocery stores. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Not only online food marketplaces but also many local markets are crowded with people stockpiling food. Mr. Nguyen Khac Thanh, Deputy Head of Hung Dung Market Management Board, said: "This afternoon, the number of people coming to the market to buy goods was quite large. We had to station personnel at the main entrances to prevent many people from entering to buy and sell at the same time." A similar situation occurred at Quan Lau Market. Authorities had to constantly remind sellers and buyers to maintain safe distances.

People jostle to buy goods at Vinh Train Station Market on the afternoon of August 19th. Photo: Nguyen Phe

Vegetable stalls, food items, eggs... at Kenh Bac market were packed with people on the afternoon of August 19th. Photo: Nguyen Phe

At some grocery stores, the number of shoppers also increased compared to yesterday. Items such as instant noodles, vermicelli, and pho were in high demand. Mr. Tran Tuan Anh, the owner of a grocery store on Tue Tinh Street, said: "I don't know where people heard the news, but around 3 PM this afternoon, a large number of people came to buy essential goods. We had to mobilize family members to help so we could keep up with serving customers."