Loan of Ha Dong District orders vegetables and beef on a supermarket’s online application. Her order was confirmed quickly, but the supermarket said delivery could be delayed due to the large number of orders.

Some other shoppers too said online systems were coping and placing orders was possible, but delivery was late.

BRG Retail general director Nguyen Thai Dung told VnExpress the company’s online orders were up five times since before social distancing began on July 24.

Stocks at each BRG Mart outlet are 300 percent higher than normal, and THE company’s central warehouse has 10 times the usual inventory, he said.

He was referring mainly to stocks of rice, chicken, instant noodles, cooking oil, spices, vegetables, and fruits.

Aeon supermarket chains in Hanoi have also seen online orders increase 200-300 percent over the past two days.

VinMart and VinMart+ said online orders were up 2.5 times.

Dung said to ensure smooth delivery his company has had to mobilize employees from other departments.

VinMart and VinMart+ said they have done the same.

But many said they find it difficult to deliver goods to customers because Hanoi has clamped restrictions on delivery people and ordered tech-based transport firms to suspend operations.

Supermarkets and postal services have to send the list of their delivery people to the Department of Transport, but approval is not prompt in coming.

Goods delivery to places along the city borders are proving difficult because checkpoints there are often congested.

To go through them, truck drivers have to show Covid-negative certificates and travel documents, but sometimes they are not issued in time because of the sheer numbers.

Hanoi has 123 supermarkets, 1,800 convenience stores, 2,382 outlets selling goods at fixed prices, and tens of thousands of grocers’.