An increasing number of consumers are turning to online shopping for Tet items ranging from decorations and food to confectionery, driving a sharp rise in orders. But domestic delivery capacity has struggled to keep pace, leading to widespread backlogs.
With only days left before many delivery firms pause operations for the holiday, large volumes of parcels remain stuck in warehouses, fuelling anxiety among customers.
Mai Anh, from Hoang Mai Ward in Hanoi, said she placed an order in mid-December but it is still showing as “stuck” at a warehouse.
“I am preparing to return to my hometown, and the order has not been delivered. I am truly impatient because these are all essential items for Tet,” she said.
At many post offices, parcels are stacked high, blocking aisles as daily order volumes continue to climb. To cope with the surge, staff who normally only handle system processing have been reassigned to receiving, sorting and loading goods.
Delivery companies have also announced their Tet holiday schedules. Giao Hang Tiet Kiem and Viettel Post said they will begin their break on February 15, the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. Giao Hang Nhanh, J&T Express and SPX Express will pause services from February 16, the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Some shop owners in Hanoi have already stopped accepting inter-provincial deliveries from the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month to ensure goods arrive before Tet.
Thuy Dung, who runs a clothing shop in Hai Ba Trung Ward, said that from that date she only accepted express deliveries within Hanoi and continued selling directly at her shop until the end of the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month.
“Many customers message and call to inquire about their order status, but the shop can only update information based on the tracking codes provided by the delivery service,” she said.
“Due to the high volume of orders, the delivery service is overloaded, and even many intra-city deliveries take four to five days to arrive.”
In contrast, some consumers said cross-border deliveries appeared faster than domestic shipping.
Phan Quynh, from Thanh Xuan Ward in Hanoi, said an order she placed from China through an e-commerce platform arrived in Vietnam in just over three days.
Meanwhile, another order from a shop within Hanoi was still marked “ready for delivery” at a warehouse on the fifth day.
“Learning from previous years, this year I listed the items I needed and proactively ordered early,” she said. “Some intra-city orders I placed for express delivery, but some late orders have still not arrived.”
