Gloomy Christmas market in Da Nang

11/12/2024 | 14:46

TPO – As Christmas approaches, the Christmas market in Da Nang is unusually quiet, in contrast to the bustling atmosphere of previous years. Shops and stalls selling decorations, Christmas trees, and gifts on the city's central streets are gloomy and have few customers.

According to observations, from the beginning of December, streets specializing in selling Christmas decorations such as Hung Vuong, Le Duan, Dien Bien Phu, Trung Nu Vuong, Phan Chau Trinh… in Da Nang city have been filled with red, preparing for the upcoming Christmas season.

However, according to many shop owners and stall owners selling Christmas decorations, sales have dropped sharply this year, even though prices haven't increased compared to last year. Large decorative items such as Christmas trees and Santa Claus figurines haven't attracted as many customers as expected.

Nguyen Hoang Phuc, a Christmas decoration salesperson on Hung Vuong Street, said: "This year's goods are abundant, diverse in types, colors, and materials, with many promotional programs and discounts from 10% to 20% to stimulate consumer demand, but still few people are inquiring about buying."

According to Mr. Phuc, due to the difficult economic situation, people are tightening their spending and prioritizing essential needs. Partly due to changes in shopping habits, with many people switching to online shopping, this has also affected the number of customers visiting traditional stores.

This year, large decorative items like Christmas trees or Santa Claus figurines haven't received much attention from customers. Instead, smaller items like ornaments, tinsel, bows, colored paper, and small souvenirs, priced from 30,000 to nearly 200,000 VND, are more popular.

Customers only come to buy small, inexpensive items.

"I only bought a few small decorations to create a Christmas atmosphere, and the rest I'm reusing old ones. Money is tight this year, so I don't dare spend too much," said Ms. Lan, a customer.

"My store has imported many new and beautiful items. All items are discounted to encourage people to shop during Christmas, but customers are very scarce," said Ms. Hoang Nha Ka, owner of Khai Tam bookstore in Hai Chau district.

Some shop owners expect a surge in customers in the days leading up to the holiday, contributing to a lively Christmas atmosphere.

Duy Quoc