Leading e-commerce platforms in Vietnam saw bigger demand for groceries, including fresh foodstuffs and beverages in the second quarter of this year.
Google searches for keywords relating to online grocery stores in the second quarter of this year surged 223 per cent against the first quarter, Malaysia-based market research firm iPrice Group said. Searches for fresh foodstuff, drinks, pre-packaged items, and fruits and vegetables rose 99 per cent, 51 per cent, 30 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.
According to a second-quarter e-commerce report, online grocery has been the only goods segment with continuous growth since the pandemic broke out.
When HCMC started applying social distancing rules in early July, demand for buying groceries online increased sharply. E-commerce platform Lazada Vietnam sold 120,000 fresh milk cartons in the first three hours of July 7, and 10,000 poultry eggs in the first 12 hours of the day.
According to iPrice researchers, the surge in searches for online grocery stores and supermarkets is linked to the social distancing regulations imposed by municipal and provincial authorities. Retail sales of essential goods will also go online rapidly, they said.
