In traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City, food prices have become "better" than before. The buying and selling atmosphere is therefore also bustling again, many housewives are comfortable choosing without having to hesitate too much about each bunch of vegetables and eggs.
Recorded at some people's markets such as Ba Chieu, Ban Co, Hoa Hao... the number of customers going to the market in the morning has increased significantly. Vegetable and meat and fish stalls are more active. Many small traders said that purchasing power has slightly improved after domestic gasoline and oil prices stabilized.
Ms. Luong Ngoc Linh - a vegetable trader at Ban Co market - said: "A few weeks ago, the prices of many items increased sharply, and coincided with the long holiday, so the market was quite deserted, and the number of customers decreased significantly. Now vegetable prices have cooled down, trading is better, customers also buy more comfortably, no longer having to consider or bargain for each bundle as before.
Meanwhile, Ms. Le Phuong Thao Anh (resident of An Dong ward) said that the cost of going to the market every day has decreased significantly compared to 1 month ago. "Last month, going to the market had to be carefully calculated, buying anything was afraid of exceeding the budget. Now the prices of many items are softer, so I can buy enough things for the whole family and still feel more comfortable" - Ms. Thao Anh said.
According to small traders, the cooling down of prices of many food items is the main factor helping purchasing power to increase again. However, consumption levels are still not completely stable, because people still have a mentality of saving after a period of price fluctuations.
Further assessing market developments, Ms. Ly Kim Chi - Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Foodstuff Association - said that the cooling down of gasoline and oil prices in the past time has partly helped businesses reduce the pressure of transportation and distribution costs. However, according to her, this is not yet a decisive factor for the food price level.
The biggest influencing factor is still input materials such as agricultural and aquatic products, packaging or imported goods. These factors used to increase very strongly and are still fluctuating, so there is not much room for retail prices to fall deeply" - Ms. Chi analyzed, while saying that the current stable trend is a positive sign but needs more time to verify sustainability.
According to Ho Chi Minh City Statistics, commercial and service activities in the area in April 2026 are vibrant, especially on holidays such as Hung Kings' Death Anniversary, April 30 - May 1 holidays, with many cultural programs, events and entertainment activities organized.
Total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in April 2026 are estimated at 161,296 billion VND, an increase of 10.4% compared to the same period. Accumulated in the first 4 months of 2026, this figure reached 639,349 billion VND, an increase of 13.2%. In which, retail sales of goods increased by 16.5%; accommodation and catering services increased by 15.4%; travel services increased by 7.7% and other services increased by 9%.
Retail sales of goods in April 2026 alone are estimated at 77. 208 billion VND, accounting for 47.9% of total retail sales and consumer service revenue, slightly down 1.2% compared to the previous month. The main reason is the long holiday, people tend to travel or return to their hometowns. However, the growth rate still reached 17% compared to the same period, showing that purchasing power in the market continues to be positive.
