Many people are turning to online shopping during the surge of coronavirus infections in Vietnam.

Keeping coronavirus-infected respiratory droplets off of our (hopefully) much more frequently washed and sanitized hands is top of mind during these topsy-turvy times. 

In response, 50% of Vietnamese citizens have lowered the frequency at which they shop at public places, a Nielsen survey has shown. Tuoi Tre reports that in the first few months of the year, online shopping has increased by at least 20%. According to the vice-president of the Vietnam E-Commerce Association, Nguyen Ngoc Dung, online shopping has become the most viable way for people to purchase what they need. 

Tiki, one of Vietnam's leading e-commerce sites, has reported strong growth in the first few months of the year, the news source adds. A representative from Tiki told Tuoi Tre that during peak periods their orders can reach 3,000–4,000 per minute and they need to continuously re-stock merchandise. Their most sought-after products are face masks, wet tissues and air-purifiers. 

SpeedL, an e-commerce site which is managed by Lotte Mart, has seen a 100–200% surge in their orders. Similarly, Saigon Co.op has seen a tenfold increase in orders placed online or over the phone, a representative of the retailer told the news source. Shopee and other e-commerce sites have increased their stocks of sought-after dried and canned foods to meet demand. 

Hoai Thanh, a Binh Thanh resident in Saigon, told the news source, "I know online shopping is not completely safe. That's why I always wash my hands thoroughly after receiving a delivery."

Vietnam isn't the only country with a growing move towards shopping online.

The US based e-commerce monolith Amazon is sold out of many household items due to growing demand. Bigbasket, one of the most prominent online grocery stores in India, has seen a 20-30% increase in online orders in the past month.