Abundant supply, purchasing power increases soon

Since the beginning of April, the shopping atmosphere at Phu Son Mart, Hung Nhan town (Hung Ha) has been bustling. The entire supermarket space is decorated eye-catchingly, the shelves are filled with many products of domestic origin, clear in quality and price. Mr. Tran Duc Tien, manager of Phu Son Mart said: We have increased the amount of goods in stock by about 20% compared to normal days, focusing on essential goods such as food, beverages, fast-moving consumer goods and items for tourism and picnics. In addition, the supermarket also arranged more consultants and cashiers to serve people who come to shop during peak hours.

At HC Electronics Supermarket (Thai Binh City), the shopping atmosphere is also bustling. Refrigeration products such as air conditioners, steam fans, refrigerators, etc. are being chosen by many people to prepare for the upcoming heat wave. Mr. Vu Anh Tuan, Director of HC Electronics Supermarket, said: Since the beginning of April, the number of customers coming to the supermarket has increased by about 30%. We have prepared a large source of goods, committed to genuine products, no price increase, and at the same time implemented many attractive incentive programs to attract customers.

People come to shop at HC electronics supermarket (Thai Binh city) before the April 30 - May 1 holiday.

In order to meet the high consumer demand during the holidays, shopping malls, supermarkets, agents, and stores are currently launching a series of promotional programs. For example, Phu Son Mart directly discounts from 5 - 20% on items such as instant noodles, cooking oil, milk, and soft drinks along with programs such as "Buy 2 Get 1 Free", lucky draws, and gifts for bills of VND 500,000 or more. HC Electronics Supermarket is implementing the program "Sale to celebrate the holiday", many electronic and refrigeration products are discounted from 10 - 30%, with additional gift vouchers or free installation; some items are even discounted up to nearly 50%. The promotional programs have attracted a large number of consumers to buy. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, Tran Hung Dao ward (Thai Binh city) shared: I took the opportunity to buy an air conditioner this time to "cool off" the early season heat, and the price is falling quite deeply. I am very satisfied with the support of transportation, installation at home and enthusiastic service staff.

According to records, purchasing power in the market in the province is shifting positively. Not only essential goods but also products serving tourism, entertainment, beauty or products serving travel and holidays such as suitcases, portable electronics, charging devices, bluetooth headsets also have high consumption. Statistics from the Department of Industry and Trade show that the total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in the first quarter of 2025 of the province is estimated at more than 22,898 billion VND, an increase of 15.8% over the same period in 2024. Of which, retail sales of goods accounted for 87.5% of the total, reaching about 20,036 billion VND (an increase of 14.9%); in particular, the group of accommodation, food and beverage, and travel services recorded an impressive growth rate of 27.13%. These figures show that the consumer market in the province is recovering strongly, which is an important driving force to promote production, circulation of goods and increase purchasing power among the people.

Businesses assess that this holiday is a golden opportunity to increase revenue. Mr. Nguyen Trung Duc, manager of Diem Dien Mobile World Supermarket (Thai Thuy) said: People's income has improved in recent times compared to the difficult period due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Increased consumer demand, manufacturers and distributors have attractive promotional policies, creating a driving force for goods circulation. We estimate that during the holiday, market consumption will increase by 1.5 - 2 times compared to normal days. To seize this opportunity, we have prepared abundant sources of goods, enhanced service and attentive customer care to attract a large number of consumers to shop.

Shopping malls, supermarkets and agents have prepared abundant supplies to serve the holiday market.

Market control, consumer protection

Although bringing new vitality to the market, the bustling shopping atmosphere also poses a potential risk of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods. Anticipating this problem, the authorities have increased market inspection and supervision, especially in densely populated areas, tourist areas, traditional markets, supermarkets, etc. As the standing agency of the Provincial Steering Committee 389/DP, the Provincial Market Management Department has promptly implemented a peak plan before, during and after the April 30 - May 1 holiday to control counterfeit goods, trade fraud, price speculation, etc. Mr. Nguyen Thai Hung, Deputy Head of the Provincial Market Management Department, said: Currently, the Department is directing the mobilization of forces, focusing on inspecting high-consumption, easily counterfeited goods; focusing on monitoring the circulation of food, cosmetics and electronic goods. We will strictly handle the acts of selling without listing prices, unreasonable price increases causing damage to consumers. We recommend that consumers choose products with clear origins, shop at reputable addresses, avoid "hunting for cheap" based on emotions, which can easily lead to the risk of poor quality goods.

With careful preparation from distribution businesses and the active participation of functional forces, the commodity market during the April 30 - May 1 holiday in the province is bustling but basically stable, without shortages or sudden price increases. This is a positive signal for consumers and promotes the development of trade and services, contributing to the recovery of the domestic economy - one of the top priorities today to achieve the target of double-digit economic growth in 2025.

Khac Duan