Holiday shoppers boost sales

The month of September, designated a special promotional sales period, has begun very well with customers flocking in the thousands to supermarkets, trade centres and fairs.

The rush was particularly evident on National Day (September 2) as long queues of customers queued to buy promotional products at these events.

On the morning of September 2, thousands of customers braved the hot weather to gather at the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium to buy goods at a fair.

The fair had nearly 360 booths showcasing a range of products including clothes, shoes, foods, and electronic products.

Thanh Tung of Tan Binh District said that this year, he had spent the whole of the Independence Day holiday on shopping at the fair instead of travelling as usual. He said he was motivated to do so by the range of items and the 30-50 per cent discounts offered.

A staff member of Ba Huan Ltd Co said their company booth was overcrowded with customers buying eggs and rice because of the promotion. The Vissan foodstuff booth also attracted significant numbers of people.

Supermarkets and trade centres have also proved popular holiday destinations for families not having ideal conditions for travelling. In fact, some supermarkets have seen an overload of customers on these days.

A representative of the Maximark supermarket chain said fresh and processed foodstuff as well as consumer goods were selling well at discounted price.

On National Day, their outlets had to keep restocking shelves with many items such as detergent, fabric softener, instant noodles and cooking oil.

Nguyen Tri Kien, director of Minh Tien Handbag Joint Stock Company, said that in the current situation of high inflation that was forcing customers to tighten their spending, businesses would not be able to sell products without offering discounts.

Firms were cutting down on expenses for advertising and brand building, he said, adding they were offering many promotional programmes to lower prices for customers instead.

Largest discounts

The largest discounts were being offered for textiles and garments as well as electrical and electronic appliances.

Nguyen Minh Thu, deputy general director of Thien Hoa Home Appliances and Furniture Centre, said they had received a good response to their promotional offers including freebies and discounted prices.

However, many customers have expressed doubts about the quality of products on sale, saying low-quality goods and expired consumables are increasingly found when a lot of shops offer particularly large discounts and make exaggerated claims through their slogans.

Hong Nhung, a HCM City resident, said fashion shops, for instance, were taking advantages of the occasion to get rid of unsold stock.

Le Van Khoa, deputy director of HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, admitted that it was very difficult to control promotional programmes at sales points, so customers have to be cautious in their shopping habits, and rely on prestigious trademarks. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam retail, vietnam retail industry, Vietnam retail market, Vietnam super markets