Hanoi opens thousands of additional stores and retail points selling essential goods

Hanoi City’s authorities have taken measures to ensure e sufficient supply of essential goods for locals during the social distancing period, particularly at a time when 20 local markets and 52 supermarkets and convenient stores in the city have had to shut down after COVID-19 cases were found there.

Hanoi City’s leaders inspect the supply of goods at a supermarket in the city.
Hanoi City’s leaders inspect the supply of goods at a supermarket in the city.

Speaking to the press on August 4, Acting Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade Tran Thi Phuong Lan reported that the city’s authorities have directed businesses to continue increasing stock of goods that are in high demand, boosting ecommerce sales, and improving their customer service. Processing facilities in the city are asked to increase their capacity to serve distribution systems.

The department has reviewed the supply of goods and people’s demand for agricultural products in each district and town in the city in order to ensure that foods are being circulated smoothly from distribution systems to consumers.

The department has also coordinated with the Hanoi Post Office to open 472 retail points selling essential good, and developed plans to launch similar points amidst the complicated developments of COVID-19, in which each ward and commune will open at least one or two more selling points in places where there is no market.

To date, the department has made public a list of a total of 8,216 price-stabilisation points in the city, and more 2,500 mobile selling points are ready to be activated in districts and towns when necessary.