Tet shopping frenzy at Hanoi supermarkets

By Anh Tu January 19, 2020 | 03:12 am PT

With a week to go before the Lunar New Year, or Tet, supermarkets in Hanoi are thronged with shoppers.

A corner of the supermarket on Tran Duy Hung Street in Cau Giay District, 9 p.m. on Saturday.

A view of a supermarket on Tran Duy Hung Street in Cau Giay District at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

This woman says she has stayed in line for 20 minutes to reach the cash register counter, and will definitely have to wait longer since she is still standing behind many. The supermarket opens up to 60 counters but still could not meet the high demand.

This woman has been standing in line at the cash counter for 20 minutes, and with lots of people in front of her, she is likely to stand much longer. The The supermarket has opened 60 counters but is still struggling to cope with the rush.

[CapThe biscuit shelf is getting empty. For the Tet holiday, which will kick in next Saturday and last for one week, confectionery, fruits, and other foodstuff are favored the most.

The biscuit shelf has emptied rapidly. For Tet, confectionery, fruits and other foodstuffs are the most popular purchases.

Imported apples are among fruit products that lure most customers.

There is a scramble to but jelly candy (choose one), which costs VND50,000 (more than $2) per kilogram. Some buy 10 kg of it. A man says he was well aware the supermarket would be crowded but still prefers to shop there because prices of most products are cheaper than at other places. He buys confectionery in bulk and packs it in boxes to gift relatives.

There is a scramble to jelly candy, which costs VND50,000 (more than $2) per kilogram. Some buy 10 kg of it.

A man says he was well aware the supermarket would be crowded but still prefers to shop there because prices of most products are cheaper than at other places. He buys confectionery in bulk and packs it in boxes to gift relatives.

"However much we add, they buy it all," a supermarket employee says as he and a colleague repeatedly add various kinds of candies to the shelves.

After jostling against each other for the product they want, customers have to wait in long line to weigh what they have selected.

After jostling to lay their hands a product they want, customers have to wait in line for long to weigh what they have bought.

Some have lost the patience or run out of time and decided to leave some products behind.

Some lose patience or run out of time and decide to leave without buying.

A sanitation worker cleans the floor as some customers have their snack right after buying and litter packages on the floor.

A worker cleans the floor as some customers eat their snacks right after buying and litter the place.

Unlike other food and beverage products, the shelves of alcohol drinks are not so crowded. Ever since the Law on Preventing Alcohols Harmful Effects took effect on January 1 to impose doubling fines for drunk driving, sales of beer and wine have dropped.

The alcohol aisles are not so crowded. Ever since a decree on fines for drunk driving which took effect on January 1 with fines doubled for drunk driving, sales of beer and liquor have dropped.

Lines of at cash register counters at 10 p.m. This supermarket has to operate until 11 p.m., one hour later than normal days for Tet.The situation is the same for other supermarkets in the capital city as they have to operate nonstop until the last day of the old lunar year on Friday or even through Tet.

Long lines of customers remain at cash registers at 10 p.m. This supermarket remains open until 11 p.m., one hour later than normal, for Tet.

The situation is the same at most other supermarkets in the capital, who have to work until the last day of the old year on Friday or even through Tet.