Supermarkets keep prices down to share difficulties with consumers

After the price of gasoline increased, essential items in the traditional market in the area have established a new price level. To share difficulties with consumers, a number of businesses and distributors participating in the province's price stabilization program are still trying to control prices to share difficulties with the consumers.

Customers do their shopping at Aeon Mall Binh Duong

Sharing the burden of consumption

As noted by reporters at wholesale markets and small convenience stores, many essential items have been adjusted to increase selling prices. Specifically, some vegetables and fruits at the markets have increased in price by 10-15%. Specifically, after the price increase, domestic chicken is at VND 95,000 a kg, Tam Hoang chicken is at VND 67,000 a kg, industrial chicken is at VND 45,000 a kg. The price of poultry eggs is also adjusted to increase from 6-7% to VND 29,500 a dozen from VND 28,000 for chicken eggs and VND 35,000 a dozen from VND 33,000 for duck eggs.

Therefore, in the past time, at supermarkets in the area, a number of items such as cooking oil, detergent, floor cleaner, vegetables, fish meat, etc., have been bought in large quantities by customers because of stable prices in addition to that. There are also discounts available. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, a customer in Thuan An city and her husband went to Aeon supermarket on the first day of the week, and they were very happy with the promotion. “I can buy a lot of products for my family's daily life at a price of 10-15% lower than usual, especially vegetables and agricultural products. The fact that supermarkets keep prices and promotions during the current "price hiking storm" brings a lot of benefits to consumers," Ha said.

In order to stabilize the market and increase the competitiveness of products, businesses and distribution chains are urgently offering solutions to control commodity prices and share difficulties with consumers. Mr. Vo Van Lot, Director of Aeon Mall Binh Duong, said that Aeon Mall strives to keep the best prices for customers. Before Tet until now, businesses have faced difficulties in transportation, labor, and raw materials. However, some products in the price stabilization program of the province have not increased their selling prices but are holding back. Suppliers have offered to increase prices, but up to now, prices are still being stabilized thanks to the pre-signed contracts. The supermarket also resolutely said no to unreasonable price increases to ensure the interests of consumers and perform well in stabilizing market prices. At the same time, it continue to implement promotions and consumer demand stimulation programs.

“Our more than 40,000 products and 2,000 suppliers are currently committed to not raising prices. We are keeping on to work with all domestic and imported supplying chains to offer the most reasonable prices to consumers in the food industry. For essential items such as fresh food, dry food (rice, noodles, cooking oil etc.), about 5% of suppliers suggested increasing prices with an average increase of 5-10%. However, we are still trying our best to negotiate to keep the best price for consumers, and at the same time, accept to reduce profit margin. For suppliers who decide to increase prices, and some types of imported goods will increase, we will replace them with products of the same type with better prices," Mr. Lot said.

Keeping the market stable

According to Department of Industry and Trade, currently, most of the consumer goods in the stabilizing system in the area have not increased dramatically in price. Consumption of consumers still recorded positive growth compared to the same period last year. Total retail sales of goods and services in April was estimated to increase by 3.7% over the previous month and 15.9% over the same period, accumulated in the first 4 months of the year, it increased by 10.7% over the same period. Units participating in price stabilization as committed with the Department of Industry and Trade still keep the prices stable. “The total retail sales of Binh Duong in the first months of the year recorded good growth, which is a positive fact in the volatile market situation. The industry and trade sector will direct production enterprises and distribution systems to offer promotions, stimulate demand, be grateful to consumers, and reduce profits to attract a large number of consumers to participate in shopping, striving to achieve the total retail sales target this year," said Ms. Phan Thi Khanh Duyen, Deputy Director of Department of Industry and Trade.

According to Mr. Vo Nhat Vu, director of Binh Duong BigC, up to date, gasoline prices have continuously increased, causing input prices to increase sharply. Facing such pressure, supermarkets have actively coordinated with suppliers and brands to control prices, especially prices of essential items. For items that have been adjusted to increase their prices but are still guaranteed to be at least 5-10% lower than market prices. The price adjustment is only accepted when it is appropriate, ensuring harmony between the interests of businesses and consumers for having a specific roadmap of negotiating daily prices with partners to jointly propose the best price for consumers along with continuously launched demand stimulus programs. "We are still trying our best to negotiate with suppliers to keep the best prices for consumers, and at the same time, accept to reduce profit margins to help customers," said Mr. Vu.

Suppliers also expect that the government's price control policy as well as the reduction of VAT and environmental protection tax will help reduce the burden of production costs, helping businesses to maintain prices and stability of domestic market in the current difficult context.

Reported by Tieu My – Cam Tu – Translated by Vi Bao