To flexibly transform business model to meet the demand

In order to overcome difficulties, many people have flexibly shifted their business form to online businesses, ensuring both safety in the epidemic time as well as a solution to offset the declining customer number.

Strong e-commerce will reduce the number of customers to supermarkets. In photo: Functional agencies inspect goods at a supermarket to ensure supply during the epidemic season.

 To seize the opportunity

Following the recommendation on social distancing due to the Covid-19, many shops and companies have changed their business model or develop online sales to serve customers. Businesses, supermarkets and restaurants began to apply information technology to develop online shopping services, bring products to consumer’s home. Recently, online markets are quite bustling, many customers have changed into online shopping instead of going to shopping centers, supermarkets, and convenience stores. “My family has a habit of going to a supermarket on weekends. But since the occurrence of the epidemic, I gradually switched to buying food online. In the midst of epidemic, this is a solution to protect the health of our family and community”, said Nguyen Thi Hoa (Thuan An City).

Currently, suppliers and distributors of goods are pushing up the form of online sales, strengthening their staff of consultants, taking and processing orders, and shipping to customers. Accordingly, large supermarket systems such as Co.opmart, Lotte, Vinmart... also strongly expended home delivery service; supermarkets also increased the number of delivery staff, applied free delivery service. In order to encourage consumers to increase shopping through online channels, some e-commerce platforms have also chosen to cooperate with supermarkets to offer many attractive incentive programs to customers, such as Tiki, Shopee, Lazada... and various sale promotion from 20 - 25% discount in this period.

According to Hoang Long, Director of Co.op Mart Binh Duong, the volume of online delivery increased by 15-20%. "Our supermarket also make efforts to take orders and deliveries to meet the demand of people, as well as restrict mass gatherings in the epidemic period", Mr. Long said. Pham Phu Hien, Director of Lotte Mart, said: “During the past few days, the number of online customers increased by 20-30%. The supermarket arranged regular customer service staff to not interrupt customer orders, timely delivery, and offers free delivery. Especially, most online customers are foreigners".

Not only supermarkets or convenience stores but also conventional markets have quickly changed their direction to serve customers during the epidemic season. Nguyen Le Xuyen (Thu Dau Mot City) said that due to the epidemic, the number of customers coming her shop decreased, thus she completely switched to online selling via FB, Zalo and mobile phone. “Previously, customers mainly came directly to my shop, a few ordered via phone and then picked up. Currently, due to the epidemic, few people go to the market to switch to making orders via phone and online message. Every day I receive about 20 - 30 online orders of foods and deliveries to customer houses. Up to now, the number of online customers has increased by 3-4 times compared to the time when there was no the epidemic.

Many restaurants and bars also changed to online businesses during the epidemic season. Nguyen Khang Anh (Thu Dau Mot City) said that to overcome the crisis caused by the disease, she made dishes to customers' orders and delivered them to their home. "This is a way to help the restaurant overcome the epidemic period and follow the recommendation on avoiding mass gathering", Ms. Anh said. In addition, many businesses encourage consumers to switch to non-cash payments or bank transfers to limit the risk of virus spreading.

To boost e-commerce

Industry and Trade sector also encouraged companies, supermarkets and convenience stores to apply online shopping to serve the increasing shopping demand. According to Ho Van Binh, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Industry and Trade, online shopping would become a shopping habit suitable to modern customers, especially in the Industry 4.0. The promotion and expansion of online channels, encouraging businesses to participate in e-commerce is one of the scenarios given by Industry and Trade authorities. Thereby, to assist consumers, both meet shopping demand and limit mass gatherings during the epidemic period.

In addition to infrastructure and delivery service, businesses moving to online business also need to adjust their products to meet the needs of shoppers. And this trend is predicted to prolong, especially after local authorities have encouraged people to avoid crowds, increase online shopping to minimize the epidemic outbreak.

However, Mr. Binh recommended that consumers needed to be careful and choose products on reputable shopping websites having the clear and publicized address and identification, refer to feedback on quality, price; at the same time, promptly report on incidents and frauds to functional agencies.

Reported by Tieu My - Translated by Ngoc Huynh

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