Traditional markets are gradually losing customers

Recently, at traditional markets in the city, sluggish business has been common, many stalls have closed, and traders have left the market due to a sharp decrease in purchasing power.

At Hoa Cuong wholesale market, many agricultural stalls are operating at a low level due to reduced purchasing power. Photo: KH

At Hoa Cuong wholesale market (Hoa Cuong ward), Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Hang, an agricultural product trader, shared: "The number of customers has decreased significantly, many wholesale and retail agricultural product stalls have also closed completely because they do not have enough money to maintain."

According to Ms. Hang, the rapid development of online shopping channels and modern distribution systems such as supermarkets and convenience stores has gradually changed consumers' shopping habits. Goods are delivered to homes, prices are transparent, while traditional markets lack innovation, leading to a gradual loss of appeal.

A similar situation also occurred at Hoa Khanh market (Lien Chieu ward). Ms. Tran Thi Van, a fashion retailer, said: “Business in the market is currently very difficult. Outside, street vendors display their wares everywhere, from clothes, household goods to meat, fish, seafood… wherever they are convenient, making customers reluctant to enter the market.”

Many stalls at Cam Le market closed due to poor business. Photo: KH

According to Ms. Van, stalls selling shoes and clothes located on upper floors are more difficult to reach customers. In addition, the growing trend of online shopping has made fashion products in the market lose their competitive advantage. "Now customers just need to stay at home and surf the phone to have the goods delivered to their home, cheap prices, and diverse designs. My wish is to reduce the cost of renting a stall to ease some of the difficulties during this period," Ms. Van shared.

Cam Le Market currently has about 750 stalls, but purchasing power has decreased by more than 30%. According to the market management board, with the strong development of modern retail systems and e-commerce channels, if traders do not change their business model, it will be difficult to survive.

At the market, adapting to the new shopping trend, some young traders have proactively changed the way they sell. Trader Dinh Thi Cam Tu (Cam Le market) shared: “I started to combine direct sales and online sales. In the evening, I take pictures of the goods and post them on Facebook and Zalo. In the morning, I still go to the market as usual, and at noon, I deliver goods to customers who order online. Thanks to that, the number of customers has increased, and my income is more stable.”

Cam Le Market Management Board said that it will coordinate to organize training courses on sales skills, introduce online sales channels, and guide the use of social networks to promote products. At the same time, it will promote and encourage small traders to convert to digital, promote products via social networks, and invest in improving market infrastructure, ensuring a civilized business environment, fire prevention and fighting safety, and cleanliness to attract customers back.

The Department of Industry and Trade said that in the coming time, the unit will actively coordinate with the People's Committees of communes and wards to organize and implement programs to support small traders in digital transformation and livestream sales to boost product consumption in the context of increasingly difficult business operations at markets. Communes and wards also need to focus on rearranging business models at markets in accordance with the business characteristics of each locality, review and develop investment plans, and renovate degraded markets.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/cho-truyen-thong-dan-vang-khach-3308484.html