Vietnam retail sales have fallen nearly ten percent year on year over the first four months of this year, according to the General Statistics Office.
However, sales of consumer goods across the country increased by 0.4 per cent, reflecting increasing demand for groceries and online shopping during the Covid-19 outbreak. Sales in the restaurant and accommodation sector plunged 23.6 per cent year on year as consumers were banned from eating on premises and due to travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, retail sales in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s commercial capital with a population of 9 million, surged in both supermarkets and traditional markets ahead of the country’s four-day holiday which began on April 30, as a myriad promotions were offered.
