Bumper" soft drinks
The grinder operates continuously; hands quickly pressed sugarcane, packed in cups; Piles of sugarcane residue getting taller is a familiar image at many refreshment stalls in Hanoi on hot sunny days.
At all times of the day, popular refreshment shops such as sugarcane juice, pineapple juice, and roadside coconut water are bustling with customers coming in and out. Not only workers and technology drivers, but many families also choose sugarcane juice as a familiar cooling drink because it is cheap, easy to drink and helps quench thirst on "extremely hot" days.
Mr. Pham Van Ho - owner of a small refreshment shop in Yen Hoa ward, Hanoi - said that hot sunny days are the best selling time of the year.
On normal days, I only sell about 10 bundles of sugarcane, each bundle of 10 plants, some days I sell 15 bundles and they are still sold out from the afternoon, on sunny days I can sell 3 times more" - Mr. Ho said.
According to Mr. Ho, in winter, the number of customers decreases sharply, only selling about 1-2 bundles per day. Summer is often likened to the time of "selling one season and eating the whole year", but this is also the time when sugarcane is most affected by pests.
I have to cut off all the worms and damaged parts before pressing, only keeping the usable part, and the profit is lying on the floor" - Mr. Ho shared.
Mr. Ho and his family sell from about 5 am to the afternoon and the goods are sold out. "This job is just hoping for sunny weather, the sunnier the sun, the more you can sell" - Mr. Ho said with a smile.
In addition to sugarcane juice, a small shop located on alley 381 Nguyen Khang (Hanoi) also sells coconut water and pineapple water to serve the needs of cooling down. However, due to the high price of coconuts, the import volume is also more limited than before.
Mr. Ho added that to reduce input costs, he usually imports about 1 ton of sugarcane per batch. "Taking large quantities, the delivery side reduces the price, and importing less is more expensive, so the profit is not much" - he said.
Each cup of sugarcane juice currently earns a profit of about 3,000 VND if the raw materials are not damaged much. On average, Mr. Ho sells about 50 liters of sugarcane juice and pineapple juice per day.
In a deep alley area like mine, selling at a high price will be difficult to attract customers. Selling by liter, the profit is less but suitable for workers and regular customers. Each liter of sugarcane juice is 20,000 VND, selling by cup is 15,000 VND. Customers who want to drink pineapple and sugarcane juice are 20,000 VND/cup" - Mr. Ho shared.
Not only sellers are busy, buyers also have many reasons to choose sugarcane juice in hot weather.
Ms. Vu Thi Phan (Yen Hoa ward, Hanoi) said that she often takes a personal bottle to buy sugarcane juice for the whole family.
I only buy sugarcane juice because it's cheap and cool, enough for the 3 grandmothers and grandchildren to drink. The grandchildren are on summer vacation, so they stay at home a lot, it's hot, drinking sugarcane juice to cool down is very convenient" - Mrs. Phan said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bui Tien Lang (35 years old, from Phu Tho province), a technology car driver, said that he buys about 2 liters of sugarcane juice every day to carry when driving on the street.
Going outdoors in the sun all day is very strenuous. I used a personal bottle to buy sugarcane juice to save more money and still have enough water to drink" - Mr. Lang shared.
Prioritize choosing energy-saving cooling devices
This time is also when cooling items are "selling well". From fans, air conditioners, air conditioners to refrigerators, electronics supermarkets simultaneously launch many promotions, discounts up to 50% to stimulate summer shopping demand.
At many electronics centers in Hanoi, products with mid-range prices and energy-saving are prioritized by consumers. Especially, in the context that peak hours of electricity are almost 3 times more expensive than low hours.
Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha (My Dinh ward, Hanoi) said that her family just took the opportunity to buy an additional air conditioner because the weather is too hot.
The house has young children, so turning on the air conditioner continuously is quite energy-consuming. I chose an air conditioner because the price is softer and is being deeply reduced. In the near future, the electricity price will be adjusted high, so turning on the air conditioner in the living room all day will increase costs" - Ms. Ha shared.
According to small traders and retail systems, peak heat often leads to a sharp increase in demand for cooling equipment. This is also considered the most bustling business period of the year for many electronics, beverage and beverage industries.
