A series of unsold products, business owners sit yawning waiting for the "ghost month" to pass

The guest refrained from spending money for the entire month.

"Setting up in the morning, packing up in the afternoon" is how Mr. Tí (45 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) summarizes the business situation of his clothing store this lunar July.

"Many people, especially the Chinese, believe this is an inauspicious time for business, and they are hesitant to spend money on business ventures. Therefore, goods are mostly unsaleable, and traders this month are just... sitting around waiting," said Mr. Ti.

Mr. Ti rearranges his goods, hoping the seventh lunar month will pass quickly so he can resume his business (Photo: Nguyen Vy).

Mr. Tí's clothing store is located in the fashion district of Nguyen Trai Street (District 5, Ho Chi Minh City). This is one of the busiest shopping areas in the city, but for the entire month, the shops have only had a few customers.

Despite numerous stores displaying signs advertising 30%, 50% off, or clearance sales with prices so low it's practically free, consumers remain uninterested in visiting.

"In the seventh lunar month, revenue will be 50% lower than usual. It's the same every year, because the superstitious beliefs and customs have become ingrained in customers, and shop owners can't avoid it. But compared to the same period last year, revenue during this year's 'ghost month' is even worse," Tí commented.

"Previously, the shop's daily revenue could reach 5-10 million VND. Now, selling 3 million VND a day is already a great achievement. If you factor in the costs of rent, electricity, water, etc., the money earned is barely enough to cover daily losses," Mr. Ti confided.

According to the clothing store owner, the superstitious beliefs only apply to a specific group of customers. For those who don't believe in such spiritual matters, the "ghost month" is not a deterrent.

However, this year, due to the overall difficult situation, the wave of layoffs has increased, and many people are unemployed, meaning that the group of customers who weren't afraid of the seventh lunar month have also... disappeared."

Having opened his shop early, Mr. Tí still sits in the same spot waiting for customers (Photo: Nguyễn Vy).

Fire employees

Mr. Tí recounted that his shop had laid off two employees due to a lack of customers. Pointing towards the area along Nguyen Trai Street, Mr. Tí said that other shop owners were doing the same thing.

"If you don't believe me, you can go and check out the fashion stores from after 3 PM until late at night. There are motorbikes parked in front of the stores, but they belong to the staff, not customers. Some stores have also laid off staff, with some only keeping one person to handle everything from sales to parking," Mr. Ti said.

Business owners are disheartened as business this year faces many difficulties (Photo: Nguyen Vy).

Not only fashion items, but real estate agent Hue Linh (23 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) says that the housing and land sectors are also greatly affected by the "ghost month" belief.

At this time of year, real estate agents have relatively little free time because clients are hesitant to commit to a purchase. Typically, clients visit primarily to view properties and check prices, then wait until the following month to finalize the contract.

"Customers often refrain from buying houses this month due to fear of bad luck, especially business people who believe in feng shui. In the seventh lunar month of each year, the number of customers signing contracts and finalizing apartment purchases is usually 10-20% lower than in other months. Of course, this is also an opportunity for customers who are not too concerned about superstitions; they will still choose to buy if the price is good," Linh said.

Among the items, motorcycles and cars are always on the list of "things you absolutely shouldn't buy during the Ghost Month".

Mr. Hieu and other used motorbike shop owners sit and wait for the right time as customers avoid buying motorbikes in the seventh lunar month (Photo: Nguyen Vy).

Mr. Hieu (45 years old, owner of a used motorbike shop) said that from the beginning of July in the lunar calendar until now, almost 3 weeks later, he still hasn't sold a single motorbike.

As in previous years, some customers mainly came to inquire about prices, receive advice on legal procedures, and then scheduled to return the following month to pay a deposit and sign the contract. However, when asked to wait until next month, Mr. Hieu could not guarantee that the car the customer had chosen would still be in stock.

Furthermore, the recently issued circular on vehicle identification plates has caused many problems for used motorcycle shop owners like him in handling legal paperwork for customers. Therefore, both owners and customers are now practically at a standstill, showing little interest in buying or selling vehicles.

"People usually try to buy cars before the seventh lunar month, otherwise they have to wait until the following month. During this month, sellers just sit around waiting for days to pass; they rarely sell a car. Because this is a high-value item that will be a long-term part of their lives, customers are quite meticulous, and everyone carefully chooses an auspicious day and month to buy," Mr. Hieu explained.

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