Consumers shop at a supermarket. (Photo: VNA)Retail sales approximated 56.89trillion VND (2.4 billion USD), accounting for 62.8% of the total andincreasing 4.6% month on month.
The three groups of commodities postingthe highest year-on-year revenue growth comprised grain food 12.3%, foodstuff12.4%, and automobiles and other vehicles 12.9%, data showed.
Consumption demand surged as January saw the year-end shopping season and the Lunar New Year (Tet)holiday, the department said.
It added trading and serviceactivities in the country's largest metropolis have guaranteed supply and demand around the longest annual holiday.
Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, Deputy Director of the Industry and Trade Department,cited estimations by local distributors and retailers that the consumptiondemand on the Tet occasion grew by some 5% from a year earlier. In particular,the purchasing power via modern distribution channels rose about 10 - 15%.
Most distribution networks actively increased supplies to meet consumptiondemand during Tet, he went on, noting that the market is forecast to staystable in the coming time, and retailers, producers, and trading establishmentsare continuing to stimulate shopping demand./.
VNA
