Bac Ninh: Fashion stores struggle to find customers

BAC NINH - E-commerce in Vietnam in general and Bac Ninh province in particular is assessed to have a rapid growth rate. Online buying and selling is increasingly convenient, creating both opportunities and challenges for all types of commercial and service businesses, including fashion. Many traditional fashion retail stores have been falling into a state of disrepair due to a sharp decrease in the number of customers.

Ms. Tu Anh, owner of a women's fashion store on Tran Hung Dao Street, Kinh Bac Ward, said: "Previously, I opened two fashion stores, one specializing in women's clothing and one selling children's clothing. During the "golden age", I had to hire two employees at each store. But in recent years, business has become increasingly difficult, and I have now closed the children's clothing store to cut losses due to high costs of hiring employees and renting premises."

In the remaining store, Ms. Tu Anh focuses on selling women's clothing with items in the affordable segment, targeting customers who are young graduates with low incomes, students, etc. However, her business is also facing many difficulties because the number of customers is increasingly sparse.

Customers choose to buy products at a store in Tu Son ward.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, a clothing retailer in Tu Son Ward, although she was quick to approach and use social networks to introduce and advertise products in the hope of maintaining sales, the online fashion market is very competitive. Ms. Hong shared: “I have rented a space on Tran Phu Street, Tu Son Ward to open a clothing store for nearly ten years now. In the first few years, there were many customers coming to buy, especially during rush hour and on weekends. But in recent years, the store has gradually become less crowded, and sales revenue has decreased sharply.”

During the times when the store was quiet, Ms. Hong tried to learn and research online business methods and tried to switch to posting sales on social networking platforms, but online orders were only sporadic during the day. Having difficulty in the fashion business, Ms. Hong is considering switching to online business of other products.

Reality requires traditional fashion businesses that want to maintain and develop to regularly update trends; diversify products, and at the same time develop additional product lines of accessories, jewelry or household items with traditional motifs...

According to market records, although it is not a holiday or Tet, fashion stores still continuously hang signs advertising deep discounts and selling off all goods. However, the number of customers is quite sparse. In particular, some stores that were once "famous" in the fashion business also had to close and transfer the premises to other businesses. The main reason explained by store owners is that e-commerce is strongly developing, fashion products are sold on social networks, large e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, TikTok... with quite cheap prices compared to the same products sold directly at stores. In addition, the number of groups and associations exchanging old and new fashion products of brands is increasing. The number of people advertising and accepting orders for Guangzhou fashion products (China) and famous domestic and foreign fashion brands is increasing, attracting the attention of customers, especially civil servants, workers, students.

Some fashion businesses in Kinh Bac ward have had to reduce their scale and even return their premises.

Ms. Ngo Thi Huong in Bac Giang ward shared: “Now, most of my clothes and shoes and those of my family members are ordered online or ordered on e-commerce platforms with many attractive promotions and discounts plus free shipping. On many holidays and Tet holidays in the year, I also “watch for sales” to buy items at prices that are only half the price of buying directly at traditional retail stores on the market”. According to Ms. Huong, goods bought online are abundant, cheap, customers can exchange or return if not satisfied with only a small shipping fee... Therefore, for a long time, she and many friends no longer go to traditional fashion retail stores to choose and buy items like before.

This reality requires traditional fashion businesses that want to maintain and develop to regularly update trends; diversify products while simultaneously developing additional product lines of accessories, jewelry or household items with traditional motifs... In addition, improve quality and build and promote brand value; take advantage of online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok... to promote products and interact with customers.

Although the online channel is growing strongly, retail stores still play an important role in the experience and connection with customers. Therefore, traditional fashion retail stores also need to enhance the customer experience through the design of unique sales spaces, imbued with cultural and traditional imprints, creating a friendly and comfortable feeling for customers.

Article and photos: Thanh Ngan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-cua-hang-thoi-trang-chat-vat-tim-khach-postid422010.bbg