Unlike previous years, trading in the run-up to this year’s year-end festive season such as Christmas and New Year holidays for Da Nang retailers is gloomy due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, the Da Nang government has taken a handful of solutions to boost consumer spending, thereby driving the city’s post-pandemic economy recovery.

The functional sectors are making every effort to boost consumer spending at the end of the year. IN THE PHOTO: Customers are seen shopping at the Vinmart supermarket located on the second floor of Vincom Plaza. Photo: QUYNH TRANG

Luring residents back to wet markets

Once considered the largest and busiest market in Cam Le District with more than 600 market stallholders, the Cam Le Wet Market has looked pretty sparse in recent days.

Except for market stalls selling such essentials as fruits, vegetables, meat and fish with a certain number of customers, stalls selling fashion clothes and footwear have seen remarkable decrease in the number of visitors. Many kiosks have shut down or had notices of transfer of liability.

Similarly, market stall of groceries, dry goods and household appliances have seen few number of customers, mainly stallholders sitting and talking to each other.

Meanwhile, restaurants, and eating and drinking establishments, across the city have faced the same problem.

Mrs Huong, the owner of a ‘bun bo’ selling eatery on Thu Khoa Huan Street in Son Tra District, lamented she only sold 5-7 kiloes of rice vermicelli every day, a decline of 10 kiloes as compared with previous months. She explained the reason is that people were still afraid to go out due to fears about COVID-19, whilst many people tightened their spending due to pandemic-triggered financial hardship.

Mr. Doan Van Hoa, Head of Cam Le District's Market Management Board, said gloomy trading atmosphere has been recently recorded in wet markets with many sellers but very few buyers, which was partly driven by the rise in some spontaneous markets and itinerant vendors nearby the traditional markets.

In an effort to deal with the problem, from mid-October till now, functional bodies in the district have been making every effort to clear spontaneous markets in order to ensure fairness in business for market stallholders, added he.

“In addition, we have also rechecked the empty kiosks in the wet markets to renovate and exploit their full capacity. For example, at the Cam Le Market, we are rushing to turn empty kiosks into ones selling OCOP products in the near future, which will help to attract customers back to wet markets" noted Mr Hoa.

The city is carrying out many trade promotion programme to stimulate shopping demand at the end of the year. IN PHOTO: Local residents were seen at a supply - demand connection event 2021 which was held in Da Nang on November 26. Photo: VAN HOANG

Stimulating year-end shopping

Vice Chairman of Son Tra District People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Nam, said that the district authorities have encouraged small-sized household businesses and individuals in the locality to participate in the city’s trade promotion, and e-commerce and trade connection activities so as to stimulate shopping demand at year-end.

In addition, the district has also facilitated businesses to offer a wide range of promotion programmes, discounts, incentives and gifts to customers in order to satisfy the demand of consumers and stimulate consumption in the city.

“The locality continues to maintain the circulation of goods, support the consumption and supply of goods with other provinces and cities, especially for supplies and raw materials for on-site production, support businesses to promote exports in wake of COVID-19", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam added.

Mr. Vo Kim Tu, Head of the Economic Division of Thanh Khe District, said that in order to soon restore the economy, the district has implemented many synchronous solutions with a focusing on supplying essential goods to serve people's needs, and encouraging trade centers, supermarkets, and convenience stores in the district to resume their operations at 100% capacity.

“In addition, we plan to store goods for year-end holidays and traditional Tet holiday in tandem with making negotiations with manufacturers to offer good prices to consumers during year-end shopping season” noted Mr Tu.

According to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, from now until the Tet Festival 2022 will witness the organisation of such trade programmes as the promotion of trade connections, and the bringing of Vietnamese goods to mountainous and remote communes, including Hoa Bac, Hoa Ninh and Hoa Tien in Hoa Vang District.

Especially, this year, the first-ever ‘Bright Lights, Flourishing Specialized Shopping Streets’ programme will be piloted at a number of specialised shopping streets in Hai Chau and Thanh Khe districts.

Moreover, from December 16 - 21, the municipal Industry and Trade Promotion Center will host the East-West Economic Corridor International Fair (EWEC 2021) at the Da Nang International Exhibition Fair Centre. The international fair features between 350-400 stands of businesses from cities and provinces cross Viet Nam, and some foreign organisations and enterprises.

Reporting by QUYNH TRANG - Translating by M.DUNG