How to hunt for deals at the 'online night market' without getting angry?

Brands compete to launch great deals and deep discounts on livestream - Photo: QUANG DINH

Many young people see deal hunting not just for shopping but as a form of "consumer entertainment", both to relieve stress and enjoy the feeling of conquest.

Emotional shopping

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (25 years old, living in Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City) humorously said: "I hunt for deals on two days of the month, which are... double day and sad day. Double day I buy necessary household items and cosmetics, but sad day I often buy silly things for fun", and said that I only plan carefully for essential items.

These products will be added to the shopping cart early, waiting for the right time to look for discount codes, free shipping. As for "nonsense" items, the decision to buy often comes suddenly, depending on mood, price and... often at night such as key chains, hair ties, cosmetic samples... "Buying is mainly to relieve mood, not really necessary", Ms. Thuy said.

For Ms. Vu Thu Huong (25 years old, District 3), a professional "sale hunter", online shopping is not only about saving money but also a skill that needs to be practiced. According to Ms. Huong, the "secret" to not missing out on big discounts is to regularly join groups that specialize in sharing discount codes, and at the same time follow KOLs to quickly update promotional programs.

"The most important thing is to prepare carefully and act quickly. I always save products in my shopping cart, enter the promotion code in advance, set the alarm at the right time and pre-load money into my e-wallet to pay as soon as the system opens the deal," said Ms. Huong, adding that to have the healthy shopping habit like now, she went through a period of "deal hunting addiction" to the point of losing control.

"There was a time when I placed more than 100 orders in just one night, mainly accessories such as charging cables, socks, towels, hair ties... Each order including shipping cost only about 3,000 - 5,000 VND, so I ordered indiscriminately to satisfy my passion, but then I looked back and saw that most of the items were unused, gathering dust in the corner of the room," Huong said.

At that time, Huong said she told herself to restrain herself but did not buy it because the price was too cheap. She thought she could give it as a gift, but there were also items she ordered that she did not know what to do with. Many items were of poor quality, even repetitive like the hair ties she had more than a dozen of. "Back then, if there was a sale and she could not place any orders, she felt restless and unhappy," Huong recalled.

Thought it was a bargain... turned out to be a mistake

This psychological factor has contributed to making night shopping activities on online markets more exciting than ever, leading to livestream sessions and flash sales being organized more and more frequently on digital platforms.

In particular, the time frame from 0:00 to 2:00 a.m. is often considered the "golden hour" when a series of promotions are simultaneously activated, from shocking discounts, giving away promotional codes to limited flash sale programs.

The items appearing during this time frame are very diverse, ranging from clothes, cosmetics, household items to non-essential products. Many products are labeled as "good deals", "wholesale prices", "online exclusive" to attract consumers, especially young people.

Notably, many livestream sessions are systematically organized with scripts that repeatedly repeat hypnotic phrases such as "today only", "don't miss out", "best on the market"... combined with intense background music and visual effects to stimulate a rush to buy.

There are many livestream sessions that have even been "exposed" for using dozens of fake accounts to take turns closing orders, creating the feeling that the product is very popular, causing many consumers to not have time to consider and easily get caught up in the fear of missing out on the opportunity. Many young people admit that they have at least once "tasted the bitter fruit" when buying goods in "online night markets".

"I once waited for the right time for the livestream and got a discount code of up to 80%. After placing the order, I was excited because I thought I got a good deal, but then I checked the website and saw that the previous price was even lower than when I bought it. When the goods arrived, I could only sigh. I vowed to never buy from that seller again," Ms. Thuy recounted.

As for young Ai Nguyen (25 years old, living in Go Vap district), she also bought a product that was "inflated" to double the price, then reduced by 40%, thinking it was cheap but in fact it was more expensive than usual. "Many of my friends have experienced the same thing. At that time, I even took the trouble to top up my e-wallet, set a timer, save the code... but in the end, I bought the product at a high price," Ai Nguyen said in frustration.

After many times of "thinking I got a good deal but ended up buying a bad deal", Mr. Tran Trung also learned his lesson: "I always prepare a shopping list in my shopping cart and then monitor the prices before and after the promotion to compare. There are expensive items that take a whole week to observe the price before daring to order. Only by being alert and well-prepared can I really hunt for a good deal."

Graphics: T.DAT

Vietnam's e-commerce could reach 63 billion USD by 2030

According to Metric.vn's report, the total revenue of Vietnam's e-commerce market in the first quarter of 2025 reached 101,400 billion VND, an increase of 42.29% compared to the same period in 2024. Consumption output also increased by 24%, reaching nearly 951 million products. In particular, the group of sellers with sales of 50 billion VND or more nearly doubled compared to last year.

The second quarter of 2025 is forecast to continue its growth momentum with expected sales of VND116,600 billion and output of 1,112 million products thanks to mid-year promotional campaigns, stable consumption trends and high demand for essential goods and healthcare. E-commerce platforms are also stepping up investment in logistics, livestream sales and seller support tools to improve user experience and conversion efficiency.

According to Savills experts' forecast, Vietnam's e-commerce will reach a scale of 63 billion USD by 2030, with an average growth rate of over 19% per year, reaching the top group in Southeast Asia.

Surfing the floor, hunting for discount codes... becomes a form of entertainment!

The emergence of the TikTok Shop platform with the trend of shopping combined with entertainment and livestreaming has also created a new habit for young people when going to the online market. Mr. Tran Chung (26 years old, Tan Binh district) said that recently he often hunts for sales through the evening livestreams of KOLs on TikTok, because "there are discount codes only for livestream viewers, which will reduce the price much deeper".

To shop and hunt for deals effectively, he often saves the products he needs to buy in advance, compares prices between platforms, and then decides to buy on the right day with promotions. "Following TikTokers or KOLs helps me keep track of the right time when they release exclusive vouchers. If I know how to split orders reasonably and apply multiple codes at the same time, I can save significantly," Chung shared.

Many young people say the reason they "like to go to online markets at night" is not only because this is the time when e-commerce platforms often launch many attractive promotions, but also because at night - especially after 10pm - is a rare time of day when they can relax after stressful hours of studying and working. At that time, surfing the platform and hunting for discount codes does not simply stem from consumer demand but has become a form of entertainment.

For many people, hunting for sales is no different from a game of "conquest", where the feeling of satisfaction comes from owning a favorite item at a price 30 - 50% lower than the market price, or even 0 VND.

Being quick to close an "exclusive deal" feels like winning a game, creating excitement and enthusiasm no less than winning valuable prizes in online games.

"Online night market" is an interesting and convenient space

Browsing online markets at night has become a habit of many young people - Photo: QUANG DINH

On May 21, speaking with Tuoi Tre, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hong - e-commerce director of the 24hStore retail system - said that "online night markets" on Shopee, TikTok Shop... attracting a large number of young people are no longer strange.

This is a new consumer trend, where users - especially young people - consider hunting for deals and promotions as a consumer entertainment activity. Shopping is not only to meet personal needs but also to relieve stress, enjoy the feeling of "successfully closing a deal" during the golden hour.

"However, many people have "tasted the bitter fruit" because they closed the order in a hurry, were fooled by fake promotions or bought poor quality products. People who are easily fooled are often new to online shopping, lack product knowledge or are easily swept away by the crowd. They are often attracted by livestreams and big deals without carefully checking product information, origin or market price", Ms. Anh Hong commented.

According to a survey by market research firm NielsenIQ, young Vietnamese consumers are becoming more cautious and strict in their spending. They tend to tighten their budgets, reduce spending on non-essential items and research thoroughly before making a purchase decision. "This reflects a segment of young people who are becoming more savvy in their digital consumption behavior," said Ms. Hong.

According to Ms. Hong, to limit risks, users need to carefully research the product and seller, check information about origin, warranty policy, return policy... Only buy on reputable platforms and stores, from genuine stores or verified on major e-commerce platforms. Be especially wary of fake discount tricks by comparing prices from many sources before buying, especially for high-value products.

You need to check the warranty and return policy clearly, avoid products without after-sales service or without guaranteed rights after receiving the goods, absolutely do not share OTP codes or payment information outside the official platform.

"Online shopping is an indispensable part of modern life. If users proactively raise awareness, select information and be careful in every purchase, the "online night market" is still an interesting, convenient and economical space in the true sense," Ms. Anh Hong shared.

Millions of views on livestreams selling "made in Vietnam" products

In the first episode broadcast on April 15, the livestream program "Shopee Quintessence of Vietnam Joining Hands 2025" attracted a total of 3.2 million views and 5.4 million interactions, helping sellers quadruple their revenue compared to the average daily.

This is a program to promote outstanding regional specialties, introduce many "made in Vietnam" brands and spread Vietnamese cultural values ​​and quintessence, contributing to raising the spirit of "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese products".

The new livestream project "Ngon Cay Snack" with the aim of promoting outstanding food and snacks from local vendors in a fun and humorous style has also recorded many positive results. After 11 live sessions, the program has received 1.8 million views on Shopee Live and social media platforms.

Each livestream session of the program promotes about 500 products from more than 100 local sellers to a large number of Vietnamese consumers, with sellers recording a 119% increase in the number of sales orders compared to normal days.

NHAT XUAN - DUC THIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/san-deal-cho-dem-online-sao-de-khong-om-cuc-tuc-20250521231028514.htm