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No sign of further consumer goods price increases
Experts once warned about the sharp consumer goods price skyrockets in early July. However, supermarts said there has been no sign of price increases at sight.
The Prime Minister earlier this year asked goods producers and suppliers not to raise retail prices until June 30, which has sparked the worry that the prices would increase dramatically after that time.
However, Nguyen Thai Dung, Deputy General Director of Big C Supermart, said that he has not received any inform from suppliers about the price increases. In principle, suppliers have to inform about the price increase plans two weeks in advance. “There will not be the sharp price increases of commodities, at least in early July,” Dung said.
Nguyen Dao Thuy, Head of Foodstuff Division under the Hanoi Trading Corporation, said that consumers have got used to price increases, therefore they do not get shocked with price increases any more. They now do not think of purchasing goods in big quantities to store up in anticipation of price increases.
Thuy said that the demand for confectionary, pork and rice will increase slightly in the summer heat, therefore, the prices of these commodities will decrease, while the demand for drinks, dairy products and ice cream tend to increase.
To date, no supplier has informed Hapro about their price increase plan. Therefore, Thuy said, the sale prices of the items on sale at Hapro chain will remain unchanged in early July.
Meanwhile, Vu Thi Hau, Deputy General Director of Fivimart, said that some suppliers asked to raise sale prices in June, but for the import products only, or the products made of imported materials. It is because of the VND devaluation, which has made imports more expensive.
According to Vu Vinh Phu, Chairman of the Hanoi Supermart Association, the prices of commodities, especially food and foodstuff, will stay firmly at high levels in the time to come. The purchasing power will remain at medium level. Meanwhile, the commodities price increases will much depend on the Government’s policy on petrol subsidization.
Phu said that in fact, the prices of a lot of commodity items now begin increasing. A well known brand name detergent, which was previously sold at VND39,000/kg/3kg bag, is now selling at VND40,000/2.4kg. The producer of another toile soap brand name has lowered the weight of the soap by 10-30g in order to keep the sale price unchanged.
“By doing so, producers have kicked off the new price increase wave, but only observant consumers can recognize the price increases,” Phu said.
VNN
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