AI will change the game for Tet 2026.

Instead of traditional planning methods, many companies and retailers rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze consumer trends, identify "hot" products, forecast purchasing power, and optimize operating costs.

Virtual KOLs are becoming increasingly natural, expressive, and interactive like real people - Photo: KIDO

"Previously, whenever Tet season came around, we would just look back at what we sold last year and do the same this year. Now it's different. Two months in advance, we start preparing for Tet, using AI to collect data on customer search trends, seeing which product groups and decoration styles are most popular so we can plan our inventory accordingly," said Mr. Lam Phuong Toan, owner of Hana flower shop on Pham Ngu Lao Street (formerly Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City).

"Reading the pulse" of the market using AI data.

According to Mr. Lam Phuong Toan, the application of AI has completely changed the way he prepares goods for the 2026 Tet holiday. "Instead of relying on experience or personal intuition to guess which items will sell well, AI now helps to accurately pinpoint potential product groups, avoiding the 'spreading too thin' approach of the past," Mr. Toan said.

According to Mr. Toan, AI not only identifies "hot" products but also analyzes consumer behavior to find the customer groups that truly generate revenue. For example, during the recent October 20th Women's Day, despite it being Women's Day, women were the most active shoppers, mainly buying gifts for their mothers, friends, or themselves.

"Thanks to AI data, we can adjust the product range, pricing, and gift design to suit different budgets and actual needs, instead of focusing on high-end products for men as before," he said, adding that AI also helps business owners "look deeper into the data" instead of making judgments based on intuition.

With just one command, the system can suggest potential product groups, along with implementation instructions, promotional plans, and consumer demand forecasts for each region. "Thanks to this, preparing goods for peak seasons like the upcoming Lunar New Year becomes faster and more scientifically sound," Mr. Toan said.

For example, with the flower and gift product category, AI recorded that the highest search volume was concentrated in Districts 3, 5, and the former Go Vap District. Instead of mass advertising, the store could focus its budget on these "hot spots," saving costs and optimizing sales effectiveness.

"Previously, to prepare for the Lunar New Year season, we needed 2-3 marketing staff working for over a month. Now, most of this process has been automated, from data compilation to advertising," Mr. Toan said. Thanks to the ability to accurately predict customer demand, inventory management is also more realistic, helping to avoid overstocking or localized shortages.

Not only are consumers changing their preferences, but many suppliers report that even large partner businesses are seeking suppliers through AI platforms.

Therefore, in preparation for this year's Tet season, many suppliers have invested early in their "digital profiles," from catalogs, images, and product descriptions to business data, in order to standardize and upload them to e-commerce platforms, Google, and social media.

"AI prioritizes suggesting suppliers with transparent and reliable information. Therefore, 'winning over AI' is now just as important as 'winning over customers.' Because if you win over customers, at most only a few more people will know about you, but if you win over AI, you can be recognized by the whole world ," Mr. Toan said humorously.

Virtual sellers "go online," selling Tet (Lunar New Year) goods.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Quoc Bao, Deputy General Director of KIDO Group, said that the company has extensively applied AI in almost all marketing activities, from producing TV commercials and designing social media posts to creating videos featuring virtual celebrities (KOLs).

During the recent Mid-Autumn Festival, KIDO experimented with 24/7 livestreaming using AI virtual assistants and recorded positive results. "Previously, a 45-second advertising video could cost up to 2.5 billion VND, but with AI, the cost is only about 20%," Mr. Bao said.

Beyond simply cutting costs, using virtual KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) helps businesses save up to 70% on advertising expenses and significantly increase conversion rates thanks to their ability to operate continuously, without time limitations or fatigue. Looking ahead to the 2026 Lunar New Year season, Mr. Bao stated that the company continues to view AI as a core strategy, not only in marketing but also for market forecasting and optimizing operational costs.

"AI is the 'key' to solving our two biggest challenges: sales and marketing costs, which account for a high proportion of the fast-moving consumer goods industry. When AI is deeply involved in marketing, costs drop sharply while conversion rates increase significantly. The recent Mid-Autumn Festival is clear evidence of this," Mr. Bao said.

According to the plan, in October, this company will complete the Tet (Lunar New Year) advertising film using AI technology for Tuong An cooking oil products, and simultaneously deploy approximately 150 online sales avatars, equivalent to 150 online employees operating concurrently on various digital platforms. It is expected that 10,000 promotional videos will be produced and released throughout this year's Tet season.

This company is also building a network of 300 virtual avatars, acting as a team for live streaming sales and producing daily content. "This will be a 'digital resource' to serve the promotional campaign throughout the Tet holiday season," Mr. Bao said, adding that AI has been involved in more than 50% of daily operations, helping the business save about 30% on operating costs and improve order processing efficiency.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh, Business Director of the Southern branch of Huu Nghi Food Joint Stock Company, also stated that the company has applied automation throughout its entire production line and is beginning to integrate AI technology to support data analysis and optimize marketing processes.

"Marketing departments are starting to use AI as a tool to support idea generation and advertising campaign design, and we are also planning to expand its application to accounting and data management departments," Mr. Anh said, emphasizing that technology is only a supporting tool. AI helps to make things faster and more accurate, but the core issue remains a good, stable product that inspires consumer confidence.

Ensuring supply and stabilizing prices.

Ms. Pham Hong Tham, Director of Ba Mien Agricultural Products Company, said that purchasing power this year may decrease by about 30% compared to the same period last year. Therefore, the company has stockpiled goods early to serve the Tet holiday and signed long-term contracts with producers to ensure a stable supply and avoid price fluctuations during the peak season.

In addition to traditional product lines, the company also introduced many compact products suitable as gifts, targeting young customers and households, contributing to stimulating domestic consumption during Tet. A representative from Huu Nghi Food Company stated that the company focuses its strategy on quality and differentiation in each product line, while also promoting the mass market segment with prices ranging from 65,000 to 80,000 VND per product, targeting the general public.

In addition, the premium gift and tin box segment is maintained, with an average price of 100,000 - 140,000 VND per box. "Every year, we adjust flexibly according to the market but without compromising quality. Despite fluctuations in raw material prices and exchange rates, we still try to keep prices reasonable so that customers are not 'shocked' when buying Tet gifts," the representative said.

Businesses are stepping up sales of Vietnamese goods and green products.

Ahead of the peak Tet shopping season, retail and food production businesses have proactively planned early, focusing on promoting Vietnamese goods, encouraging green consumption, and choosing domestic products.

AI is fundamentally changing how businesses approach consumers during the Lunar New Year season - Photo: QUANG DINH

Mr. Tran Le Nguyen Khang, Deputy Head of SATRA Retail System Management Board, said that in the context of a market facing many difficulties, SATRA not only focuses on stabilizing prices but also promotes environmentally friendly products and participates in the "Green Responsibility" program launched by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Products with clear quality certifications and traceability will be prominently displayed in supermarkets, giving consumers peace of mind when shopping. In addition, SATRA introduces many private label products within its ecosystem, accompanied by deep discounts and more favorable pricing policies. "We work closely with partners to offer products at the best possible prices, helping to alleviate the financial burden on people during Tet," Mr. Khang added.

A KIDO representative also stated that the company has joined the online distribution channel "My Beloved Vietnamese Products," a platform recently launched on the Shopee e-commerce platform in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade. The program introduces authentic, high-quality Vietnamese products along with many attractive offers for consumers.

"Any product sold through this channel has been thoroughly verified for origin and quality," he emphasized.

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Nhat Xuan

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ai-thay-doi-cuoc-choi-tet-2026-20251028232904315.htm