
Saigon Co.op would then coordinate with local authorities to deliver goods to collection points so that task forces can send them to buyers as quickly as possible. Task forces assigned by the authorities will collect orders from households and pool them. Since the purchase orders are signed by ward chairpersons, the task groups could take delivery of goods and make payments later, she said.Ĭo.opmart Huynh Tan Phat in District 7 also accepts orders via phone, online and on Zalo from people living in green zones (COVID-free areas), and staff with travel permits deliver them.Ī Saigon Co.op spokesperson said a price list for around 100 essential items and combos priced from VND100,000 are sent to local authorities in each area.

They then pool orders and send them to suppliers.”Īlthough supermarkets such as Co.opmart, Co.op Food, Satra, and Bach Hoa Xanh have promised to ensure sufficient supply of goods, the district still plans to organise 20 mobile sales trips each week, with priority given to wards that do not have large supermarkets, he said.īui Thi Giang Thu, director of Co.opmart Chu Van An in Binh Thanh District, said on August 24 the store fulfilled 500-600 orders from five wards in the district and accepted 1,000 new orders. The teams record orders through Zalo or links. “The wards have set up teams that do the grocery shopping for residents. Nguyen Duy An, vice chair of the District 1 People’s Committee, said of the 10 wards with 50,000 households, some such as Co Giang and Cau Kho have almost no supermarkets or shops, and providing goods to people there has faced difficulties. On August 23 sanctioned a number of shops that sold goods to people who came to shop in person.” With 250 people in each ward on the task forces, they do not merely buy goods for the public but even compare prices between various retailers to choose the most competitive.Ĭhanh said: “The district strictly prohibits travel, meaning supermarkets and stores can only sell goods to the special task forces.

Nguyen Cong Chanh, deputy chair of the district People’s Committee, said, “The district has worked with retailers in the area…to ensure that goods are ordered and delivered as quickly as possible.” In Tan Phu District, they sent 8,000 orders on Tuesday to supermarkets and grocery stores compared to only 500 the previous day. The numbers are expected to increase sharply in the coming days, it said.Īmid the city’s stricter COVID-19 prevention measures from August 23 to September 6, people have been told to “stay where they are” and task forces comprising members of local logistics teams, community COVID prevention teams, local volunteers, police officers, and troops are helping them buy their daily needs. Special task forces in wards in HCM City that do grocery shopping for locked-down residents took 74,033 orders to supermarkets and groceries stores on August 24, almost half more than the previous day, according to the city Department of Industry and Trade.
