Top News

It is quite common for many eateries to quickly adjust their prices whenever petrol and diesel rates increase. Yet when fuel becomes cheaper, menu prices rarely decrease accordingly. Once prices go up, they seem very hard to bring back down.

Recently, when fuel prices surged past VND31,000 per liter, my usual pho spot raised its prices from VND35,000 to VND40,000 just days later. Not long after, the owner hiked prices by another VND5,000 to VND45,000, citing the same reason.

I find the decision understandable at first, as business owners often face difficulties during these trying times.

But in recent weeks, fuel prices have started to fall sharply. They have plunged 30-40% from their peaks to below VND24,000 per liter. But my bowl of pho has stayed steady at VND45,000.

Fuel is clearly only a small part of input costs. Yet when it becomes costlier, businesses immediately use it as an excuse to hike prices accordingly. Then you never hear them mention that factor again when fuel prices fall. Because of this, I decided not to return to that pho shop and have put it on my “blacklist.”

While VND10,000 may not be much, I dislike the fact that the eatery finds it necessary to raise prices when an issue emerges, but never feels the need to lower prices afterward once that issue has been resolved.

I know shop owners also have to account for various costs such as rent, labor and ingredients, but it seems reasonable for consumers to expect a corresponding adjustment in such cases, even if only a small one.

This is not limited to food and beverages. In many sectors, prices appear to move in only one direction, and consumers gradually get used to higher prices without expecting reductions.

My decision to stop going there may not affect the shop much, but it is the only way I can respond to something I consider unreasonable. If more consumers are willing to push back in the same way, I believe their concerns will be taken more seriously.

*This opinion was submitted by a reader and translated into English. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match Read’ viewpoints.