Bustling year-end promotions

The peak year-end shopping season has begun as consumers spend more heavily in preparation for the upcoming holidays and Tet.

The year-end shopping season - with Black Friday (November 29) as the focal point - is approaching. Retailers, from supermarkets, stores to e-commerce platforms, have all prepared carefully to meet the increasing consumer demand of customers. Bustling from the market to the floor According to records in Ho Chi Minh City a week before Black Friday, supermarket chains such as Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food, WinMart/WinMart+, MM Mega Market... simultaneously launched many large discount programs. Saigon Co.op, with a network of more than 800 points of sale, applies discounts of 50% or more for all product lines such as vegetables, dried foods, cosmetics, and household appliances. In particular, the program "10 golden days - shop freely" takes place from November 2 to 30, combined with promotions such as discounts on essential household items, along with the program "Go to the market for the same price of 10,000 VND" and "Shocking prices reduced to the root".

Consumers are still eagerly waiting for the year-end promotion season. Photo: THANH NHAN

WinMart/WinMart+ system offers discounts of up to 50% on thousands of food, cosmetics and household items, with promotions of "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" or "Only 10,000 VND" for some products. Similarly, MM Mega Market offers a policy of "Buy more - Cheaper price", deep discounts for corporate customers who order Tet goods early. No less exciting, shopping malls such as Vincom, Giga Mall, Van Hanh Mall, Diamond Plaza... also launched big discount programs from fashion, cosmetics, footwear and accessories brands. Many stores have sent text messages to member customers, promising deep discounts and attractive gifts. On social networks, famous brands are also promoting. For example, fashion brand J. offers discounts of up to 70% on more than 1,000 products, with the same price of 110,000 - 333,000 VND. Meanwhile, major home appliance brands are offering special promotions, giving away discount codes for high-value orders. On e-commerce platforms, Shopee leads with many deep discount programs, such as free shipping, vouchers up to 1 million VND and 50% subsidy for products on Shopee Video. The program "Shopee joins hands with Vietnamese goods" in collaboration with the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy will take place from November 29 to December 1, introducing high-quality Vietnamese products with great promotions. On TikTok Shop, livestream sales sessions also attract a large number of viewers thanks to "floor-breaking" discount programs of up to 70%. In particular, the TM account (1.1 million followers) livestreams selling perfume at a 10% - 20% discount, attracting more than 3,000 simultaneous views. Lazada will launch a Black Friday program from November 25 to December 2 with many outstanding promotions: discounts up to 50%, free shipping and vouchers worth up to 400,000 VND. Tiki alone has not yet created a strong attraction like other platforms. According to records, the bustling shopping atmosphere not only comes from retailers but also spreads in the consumer community. Office workers and young customers have begun to share with each other their experiences of hunting for sales, searching for high-quality products at preferential prices. Keywords such as "secrets to hunting for Black Friday sales" or "effective sales hunting" are being searched a lot on Google. Ms. Ho Hong Dao, acting marketing director of Saigon Co.op, said that Black Friday is not only an opportunity to increase sales but also an opportunity to measure the purchasing power of the market. The results of these promotional programs will help businesses adjust their strategies in time for the Tet shopping season. "This is also an opportunity for Saigon Co.op to affirm its position, bringing customers shopping experiences at the end of the year" - she emphasized. Beware of buying cheap but getting expensive! While many people are excited about year-end promotions and discounts, many are also skeptical because they often encounter "fake promotions" that make them feel like they are overpaying even though they have carefully calculated. Ms. Tran Thi Hong (Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City) shared about her unhappy experience during the 11-11 promotion. After watching a KOL (social media influencer) promote a product with the "lowest discount on the market" of more than 800,000 VND, she decided to buy it right away but did not have time to "hunt" for a good price. Regretting the wait, she had to buy it for more than 900,000 VND because she thought it was still cheaper than at the store. However, the next day, she saw the same product on another livestream of a familiar retail system for less than 800,000 VND, with fast delivery service. She was even more disappointed when the order from the KOL's channel was delivered late, and Ms. Hong could not cancel it because the goods were already in transit. Although she refused to accept the goods to return, she was still worried about the refund time. Mr. Vu Vo Ha (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) also encountered a similar situation. During the 11-11 period, he bought many products from his favorite fashion brand with a promotion of 15% - 39%. However, just a few days later, this brand launched the "biggest sale of the year" program on Black Friday, with a discount of up to 50%. Mr. Ha expressed regret for buying in a hurry: "I thought I could buy at a good price, but it turned out to be expensive. Next time, I will learn from my experience, buy according to my needs, and not worry about running out of promotional items anymore." A representative of a business said that the profit margin in production is not high, but consumers often expect deep discounts. Therefore, businesses are forced to offer higher listed prices to create a sense of "bargain" for customers when applying promotions. "Products with deep discounts are often clearance goods or have minor defects. With other items, if there is a discount compared to normal days, the business has to sacrifice a part of the profit" - this person explained. This business also emphasized that instead of focusing only on the promotional percentage, consumers should pay attention to the actual amount of money saved when purchasing, to ensure the shopping value is in line with their needs. From the perspective of an e-commerce expert, Mr. Nguyen Manh Tan, Marketing Director of Haravan, commented that most of the current promotional programs are real but have not met the expectations of consumers. He also pointed out that consumers are gradually becoming "indifferent" to promotional messages. Because there are too many discount events throughout the year, from double days, mid-month days to holidays; instead of focusing mainly on the end of the year like before. To avoid falling into the trap of "fake promotions," Mr. Tan recommends that consumers should choose to buy from reputable, branded and well-reviewed sellers or businesses. Consumers need to compare prices of similar products from other sources before deciding to buy. "Fake promotions" not only cause anxiety for consumers but are also a problem that "livestream warriors" have to face. Pham Thoai, one of the famous livestreamers, revealed that his team always checks product prices on all platforms before broadcasting to ensure the real price. Before each livestream session, the products are also announced in advance so that consumers can evaluate the level of discount themselves.

Closely monitor promotional activities Regarding promotional management solutions, a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade said that according to Decree 128/2024 (amending Decree 81/2018), from December 1, businesses and stores when conducting promotions do not need to notify the state management agency in advance. This regulation is expected to create a breakthrough in administrative procedure reform, helping businesses flexibly implement trade promotion programs, including promotions. However, the new regulation also poses challenges in supervision, when the management agency no longer has a grasp of all promotional activities in the area. According to a representative of the Department of Industry and Trade, instead of spending a lot of time handling administrative procedures, this agency will focus on strengthening post-inspection, to ensure that businesses comply with legal regulations and protect consumer rights. Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhon-nhip-khuyen-mai-cuoi-nam-196241122204141049.htm