Civilized market model ensures consumer rights

The market model where vendors are well-mannered and food safety is ensured, has been expanded throughout Hanoi, helping to maintain a safe, civilized business environment and ensure consumer rights.

For the residents around Thai Ha Market in Dong Da District, shopping has become a delight as they feel comfortable in the bright, clean and polite atmosphere of the place.

Local authorities visit Thai Ha Market in Dong Da District. Photos: Hanoimoi newspaper

Notably, many merchants have price tags to help shoppers feel more comfortable about their purchases.

Do Thi Tam from Hoang Cau Street, Trung Liet Ward said: "Thai Ha Market is very clean and civilized now, and people are very happy and secure when they go to the market. Not only is it cleaner and airier, but most of the stalls have posted prices and QR codes to make it more convenient for customers to pay".

In pursuing the "Civilized Market" model, Thai Ha Market business households and merchants have committed to the market's code of conduct, such as posting prices and product origins and using environmentally friendly packaging and bags.

Speaking about the process of developing the model, Tran Thi Minh Xuan, Chairwoman of Dong Da District Women's Union, said that the market is one of the three models built by Hanoi Women's Union and rolled out in 30 districts/towns of Hanoi since 2023, including Dong Da.

To qualify as a civilized market, merchants must have food safety and hygiene certificates, ensure environmental sanitation and fire protection, and neatly arrange goods without infringing on common areas.

Not only Thai Ha Market, the civilized market model is also applied in many wet markets such as Kim Lien (Dong Da District), Goi, Moi and Phung Market (Dan Phuong District), Thuong Thanh and Kim Quan (Long Bien District), and Gia (Hoai Duc District). 

Nguyen Thi Hoa, a vegetable and fruit trader at Thanh Liet Market (Thanh Tri District), the trading place of some 130 vendors, said that goods must be arranged in separate zones, all displayed on shelves and racks at least 30 cm above the ground. Each stall is labeled with the product category and the seller's phone number.

"Importantly, each stall also has a QR code for customers who want to pay online," she added.

Shoppers pay for vegetables at a wet market in Hanoi with a QR code. Photo: VNA

The Thanh Lien Market Management Board has persistently campaigned with merchants to ensure that they operate in their proper product categories, avoid stockpiling goods, refrain from price dumping, and promote healthy competition.

In addition to Thanh Liet Market, Cau Buou Market in Ta Thanh Oai Commune (Thanh Tri District), which was established in 2016, is also among the markets that meet the criteria of being civilized with well-mannered traders and food safety.

It is a first-class market with more than 500 vendors divided into different zones and product categories, such as a food and fruit section, household goods, clothing, and footwear.

According to Do The Ha, head of the Cau Buou Market Management Board, all vendors have business licenses, display their signs in plain sight, and have received food and fire safety training, with 100% using QR codes.

In Long Bien District, there are currently 26 wet markets operating with 150 vendors, of which 14 markets have been recognized as meeting the criteria for such a market model. All markets allow cashless payment.

According to Uong Thi To Quyen, an official from the Long Bien District Economic Division, the district has mainly emphasized on forging civilized trading practices and manners of traders in the markets.

To achieve the status of a civilized commercial market and a safe food market, the district has set criteria for food stalls, such as all food must have a clear origin, vegetable stalls must be on shelves raised 15 centimeters above the ground. All meat stalls must have stainless steel tables and plastic chopping boards. Cooked food stalls must have merchandizing refrigerators, she said.

"The district has been proactive in advocacy and public awareness campaigns since the early stages, which has resulted in the model gaining the consensus of the local community. Vendors have adhered strictly to the criteria as the model has been implemented. As a result, the district has now replicated the model in 14 markets," she points out.

Uyen also said that by the end of 2024, three to four more markets are expected to meet the criteria for civilized trading practices and food safety standards. By 2025, all markets in the district will meet the criteria.

In order to scale up the model, the involvement of different levels of management, government and the Women's Union is crucial in the next phase. In particular, it is important to focus on communication with both sellers and buyers and to select some key tasks to be carried out to improve business culture and etiquette, according to the official.