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Two international tourists buy clothes at a shopping mall in Saigon Ward (HCMC). Photo: Linh Huynh. |
After Black Friday, many fashion brands at shopping malls in Ho Chi Minh City continue to have "big sales" at the end of the year.
Nguyen Trai Street (Ben Thanh Ward), where more than 50 local fashion brands such as Mieu, Cara Club, Secodee, Mys.P... gather, hang signs offering discounts and launching new collections.
This is also a familiar shopping occasion for many international visitors to Vietnam. Over the years, the city has emerged as a "shopping paradise" with many young, affordable local brands.
"My clothing bill totaled 30 million VND, exceeding my estimate, so I had to buy an extra suitcase to hold it," Himari (27 years old), a Japanese tourist, told Tri Thuc - Znews.
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Himari, a Japanese female tourist, went to each store on Nguyen Trai Street (Ben Thanh Ward) on the evening of December 6 to choose clothes. Photo: Truc Ho. |
"Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City is almost half cheaper than in Thailand and Singapore"
From 5 p.m., international tourists begin to flock to shopping malls and "fashion" streets, and Himari is no exception. She has researched many local brands in Ho Chi Minh City on Instagram and TikTok, and spends 3-4 hours "hunting for sales" every night.
"My purpose of traveling is shopping. Prices in Ho Chi Minh City are almost half cheaper than in Thailand, Singapore and Japan, and even cheaper when on sale. The quality is not inferior. Local Thai brand T-shirts cost 800-1,000 baht/piece (about 650,000-800,000 VND), for that price in Vietnam I can buy 2-3 shirts," Himari said.
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As evening falls, the number of international visitors to the shopping mall in the city center increases. Photo: Truc Ho. |
Coming to Ho Chi Minh City for tourism and shopping, Ji-ah (26 years old, Korean tourist) thinks this is a good opportunity to catch the "crash floor" sale of branded and local brands. She took the opportunity to buy clothes and cosmetics for herself and as gifts for relatives. Having spent more than ten million VND on Adidas, H&M, HLA..., she has no intention of stopping.
"In Korea, branded goods are discounted 10-30%, but in Vietnam, products are discounted nearly 50%. Local brands have youthful designs, bright colors and suit my style. They are cheaper than clothes sold where I live. The shopping area is also neat, not as crowded as Bangkok (Thailand), making it easy for me to choose," Ji-ah said.
However, the female tourist said that the cosmetics industry in the shopping mall is not diversified, mostly high-end cosmetics, to buy drugstore cosmetics (meaning popular products - PV), she has to find a nearby store.
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A German male tourist shopping at a shopping mall on the afternoon of December 7. Photo: Truc Ho. |
Arriving at the mall early to avoid the crowds, Dominik (30 years old, German tourist) bought clothes and sneakers for a total of 5 million VND, including one pair of pants, 3 t-shirts and 2 pairs of shoes. He did not believe he could buy so many things at such a cheap price.
"A friend told me that shopping in Ho Chi Minh City is very cheap, and it's true. The price for two local brand T-shirts is less than 700,000 VND, which is not available in Germany, and is many times cheaper than in the US. The products are on sale but the designs are still eye-catching and have many styles," Dominik said.
The male tourist only shopped once at the mall because there were no duty-free shops and not all shops offered tax refunds. He would shop outside the mall the following days.
The busiest international tourist season of the year
"This is the busiest season for international visitors, the number of visitors has increased by about 10% compared to last year, mostly from Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore and Europe. Meanwhile, Vietnamese visitors have a decreasing trend," said Andy, manager of a Vietnamese fashion store at Vincom Dong Khoi.
The store has been running a year-end sale of up to 50% off since early December. The items on sale are from the June-September collection, with limited sizes and inventory. To attract international visitors, the store has produced a number of large-sized items with sophisticated designs and "softer" prices than international brands.
"Some products are sold out after a few days of discount. However, the year-end sale takes place at the same time as the second City Sale, so branded goods are heavily discounted, so competition is higher than in previous years. When entering the shopping mall, international customers are easily attracted by international brands," Andy said.
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Many local brands on Nguyen Trai Street (Ben Thanh Ward) put up End of Season Sale banners. Photo: Truc Ho. |
A representative of a sports shoe brand at Saigon Centre said that in the last quarter of the year, revenue from international tourists accounted for the majority. In addition to retail purchases, customers also bought in large quantities.
From 2023 until now, the end of the year has always been crowded with foreign customers "hunting" for goods, this year there are more thanks to the sale on sale. Because the promotion period is long, the number of customers is evenly distributed, not overloaded. Currently, the store is eligible for VAT refunds with invoices from 2 million.
On Nguyen Trai Street (Saigon Ward), a local brand also continuously welcomes international customers thanks to its modern and applicable products. According to Ha Vi, the store representative, this year's sale season, international customers account for 60% of the total customers, with Asia being the main market. The store is offering 30-50% discounts depending on the product.
"Every day, there are about 100-200 international customers coming to buy, less than last year, but revenue is 'slightly' higher. This year, the store launched designs suitable for many audiences and ages to boost sales at this time," she said.
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| A dynamic local brand on Nguyen Trai Street (Saigon Ward). Photo: Truc Ho. |
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, by 2030, shopping tourism is still identified as one of the main products that bring in the main source of tourism revenue. The orientation to increase shopping spending of short-term international tourists is to develop duty-free shop systems, shopping malls, and complexes.
Previously, in an exchange with Tri Thuc - Znews , Dr. Hyejin Park, lecturer of Tourism and Hospitality Management (RMIT University Vietnam), said that Ho Chi Minh City needs to diversify product segments and promote duty-free shops in the center to boost spending by international tourists.
Source: https://znews.vn/tap-nap-khach-ngoai-den-tphcm-san-quan-ao-my-pham-post1609152.html
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