Tet 2010: Gift-giving expectations escalate

Despite the economic downturn, demand for Tet gift-giving to superiors and partners will be the same as 2009, while the demand from individuals and families is increasing.

Four retail supermarket chains in HCM City told Saigon Tiep Thi newspaper that they are preparing 620,000 baskets of Tet gifts for Tet 2010 (the Year of Tiger). If they can sell all the gift baskets, they will make some 330 billion dong.

Maximark chain Director Nguyen Phuong Thao noted that confectionary products and liquor will be the main gift basket items. Additionally, there will be chocolate, tea and powder drinks, dried beef, dried squid and cosmetics.

Duong Thi Quynh Trang, Public Relation Director of Big C Chain, said that Big C offers 18 kinds of gift baskets priced between 49,000 dong and 1.9 million dong, offering a wide selection for customers.

According to Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Deputy General Director of Co-op Mart, the demand from businesses for Tet gifts is the same as 2009, while demand from families is increasing.

Nhan forecasts a 50 percent increase in the number of gift baskets sold compared with Tet 2009. Saigon Co-op has designed 35 types of gift baskets, valued from 50,000 dong to several million dong.

Shops are also busy these days preparing to sell Tet gifts, even offering home delivery service. A big HCM City shop specializing in import goods has prepared 10,000 baskets of gifts and expects to earn around 14 billion dong.

The shop’s owner reported that he received orders in the previous month for 600 wine bottles, 3,500 cookies boxes imported from Europe, 800 chocolate boxes and 300 bottles of spirits worth two million dong each. He added that, despite the economic downturn, the demand for goods remains very high.  This has prompted him to import more goods and employ more workers to wrap gifts.

The owner of a HCM City wholesale and retail shop disclosed that he has received orders from some companies to supply each with 300 gift baskets worth 150,000. He said that he hopes to sell 4,500 gift baskets for Tet 2010, much more than the 4,000 he sold last year.

Favorite gifts of companies include drinks, especially beer. The price of brewery products has increased by some 20,000 dong per carton of 24 cans.

A HCM City liquor distributor stated that demand for different kinds of liquors is very big. People nowadays prefer simple and luxury gifts instead of baskets with too many things. He said that even very expensive liquors, worth several million dong a bottle, are selling well.

As for confectionaries, Bibica, Lubico, Vinabico, Hai Ha and SN Food, the biggest producers in Vietnam, all plan to market 100 million boxes of products. Kinh Do alone plans to sell 30 million boxes. Moreover, 30 import brands are also available.

Nguyen Mai, a small merchant, believes that the sale of Tet gifts will go very well, because different gift baskets fit different customers’ pockets. Consumers can choose any product for their baskets.

VietNamNet/SGTT

Tags: Vietnam markets