The grocery store at the end of the alley is still lit up.

Grocery stores are places that meet all consumer needs of people.

I remember clearly the day I walked across a small alley on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Thuan Hoa District ( Hue City), I saw the owner of a grocery store bending over to arrange several bottles of cooking oil in front of the door. In the blazing midday sun, she still opened the counter, her hands shaking, her mouth smiling when someone called to buy a box of milk. It was called a store, but it was tiny, no sign, no air conditioning, but there were still customers coming and going.

That was not the only store I had ever visited. Near my house, on a stretch of road of a few dozen meters, there were 4 grocery stores "standing" and strangely, all of them were crowded with customers. The owners may not know the terms "retail chain" or "modern model", but they know whose family is having a funeral today, who has just been discharged from the hospital, who needs to buy on credit because their salary is late this month. They sell by memory, by trust, an invisible asset that no software can manage.

In recent years, convenience store chains have appeared more and more in Hue. From the central streets to the suburbs, there are almost always mini supermarkets... with cool air conditioning, listed prices, and weekly promotions. Young people and young families go out a lot, buy quickly, and scan QR codes to pay. But I also realized one thing, those places often lack something: Attachment. No one remembers your face, no one calls your name. And especially, you can't buy on credit or text on zalo "Sister, leave me a bottle of oil and 2 packs of noodles, my husband will come and get them later". That may be a small thing, but for street vendors, workers, housewives... it is a whole silent support network.

I once saw an old lady buy a pack of soap at the grocery store at the end of the alley, forgetting to bring money. The store owner just said: "Your son can pay you back later." The statement was so light, as if there was no need to verify or record it. In mini supermarkets, that is unthinkable.

Grocery stores in Hue are not just places to buy and sell. They are the intersection of life and neighborhood. They are places where you can leave your keys, ask the shipper to keep your goods, or simply ask: “Ma’am, do you have grilled rice paper?”. People go there not only for the goods but for understanding.

Of course, in the current climate, not every store can keep customers. Some places stick to the old way of selling: dusty, messy, with no attention to hygiene or arrangement. Some items may even expire. And then they lose customers. But many others have changed and it has worked.

Ms. Nga on Hoang Quoc Viet Street, An Dong Ward, Thuan Hoa District (Hue City), the owner of a grocery store, showed me her phone with a list of nearly 30 zalo customers. She took orders, quoted prices, and even livestreamed selling snacks on weekends. "No need to make a big fuss, just a few students around here watching is enough to have fun," she said. I was moved to hear that, because that is how grocery stores are learning to not be left behind.

I believe that if there is a proper support program, such as training on how to use simple technology, installing security cameras, and guiding inventory management using Excel, traditional grocery stores will not only exist and “survive”, but also develop. Indeed, this has been implemented by relevant units to support small traders in traditional markets.

I am not against convenience stores. They are necessary for a developing city, helping to make consumption transparent, modern, and traceable. But I also do not want grocery stores to disappear. Because if one day we only have cold counters, with receipts printed from computers, then what will retain a little humanity in the city?

Every time I come home late from work, I still stop by Mrs. Gai’s grocery store at the corner of the alley to buy a carton of milk, sometimes a package of cakes for my child. Mrs. Gai still remembers my name and still asks: “What grade is your child in?”. I pay, nod my head in thanks, and feel lighter after a stressful day.

Grocery stores, though small and quiet, still hold a part of our everyday memories. And as long as customers still need that, they will stay lit.