Super typhoon Yagi, witn a maximum wind speed at 201 kph, is expected to enter the Gulf of Tonkin Friday night, triggering strong winds in northern Vietnam. People have been flocking to markets and supermarkets to stock up on necessities in response.
At the Big C Tran Duy Hung supermarket in Hanoi on Friday, hundreds came to the site, mostly to the vegetable section. An employee said the number of people coming for vegetables has been high since Thursday night, forcing staff to work constantly.
There were times when certain vegetables were bought out completely.
Thao, from Cau Giay District, said she purchased necessities in preparation for Yagi's arrival.
"I was late so I could not buy carrots, but many other types of vegetables were still availble," she said.
A single bundle of celery is left on the shelves, while herbs remained in ample supply.
Within three hours from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., employees had to restock goods five times.
Phan Thi Hoai Thuong, director of Winmart Thang Long, said demands for food on Friday were 350% higher than usual.
"We expected demand to be high during stormy days, but not this high," she said.
The supermarket closed an hour later than usual on Thursday night as people rushed to the site for necessities. Two extra cashier's counters were opened on Friday to serve customers, the supermarket manager said.
People flock to Winmart Thang Long to stock up on necessities. Video by VnExpress/Hong Chieu
Le Yen, the owner of a banh mi shop in Hai Phong, said she bought an extra 30 kg of pork paste to sell Friday morning as several people decided to stock up on the food.
She said she had seen a similar situation before, when Covid-19 social distancing policies were going into effect.
By 7 a.m., the butcher's stall by Nguyen Thi Ngan in Le Chan District sold off 80 kg of meat, four hours earlier than usual.
Shelves at a supermarket in Hong Bang District in Hai Phong were rendered empty. People mostly bought vegerable, pork and poultry.
