From early morning, markets like Kim Giang in Thanh Xuan District saw a sharp increase in shoppers trying to secure vegetables, meat, eggs, and more to last through the stormy days ahead.

One shopper, Do Thi Mai, expressed her urgency, "With the storm coming, it's not about price - it's about safety. It’s too dangerous to go out in such weather." By 7 AM, popular items like cabbage, zucchini, kale, and potatoes were already sold out.

At local markets, the surge in customer attendance was palpable. Merchants like Phương Nhung at Thuong Dinh market remarked, "Usually, we struggle to sell out, but today, we were out of stock by 10 AM."

At Lam Du and Bo De markets in Long Bien, scenes were similarly chaotic. "It was a fight even to get into the queue for pork, and by the time it was my turn, everything was gone," shared a frustrated shopper named Thu.

Vendor Van noted a drastic uptick in meat sales, "Normally I sell two pigs a day; today, they were gone by 7 AM, and even after rushing to prepare more, everything was sold out by 9 AM."

Online markets also felt the rush, with vendors posting notice of selling out stocks of fruits and seafood earlier in the day to avoid the impending bad weather. This precaution is due to the challenges delivery services face during significant storms.

Meanwhile, supermarkets like AEON and WinMart witnessed unprecedented crowds since the previous evening. The demand was so high that many shelves, particularly those stocked with fresh meats and vegetables, were left empty.

Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy Director at WinMart chain, shared, "We saw a 200-300% increase in stock coming in and about a 300% increase in customer traffic compared to a typical day." To manage the surge, WinMart had preemptively increased orders, especially for perishables and long-life food products.

"As the typhoon approaches, we've coordinated with our suppliers to ensure a steady supply and diversified our sourcing to avoid any potential disruptions," added Dung.

This strategy includes securing additional stock from alternative locations like Lam Dong, anticipating that local suppliers like WinEco in Hai Phong and Quang Ninh might be affected by the typhoon.