Revenue has dropped by 50%, many small traders at the largest second-hand clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City are sad, although they still earn 4-5 million VND per day.
The merchant yawned, waiting for customers.
At 9am, Hoang Hoa Tham Street (Tan Binh District) is crowded with people and vehicles, but the second-hand clothing market, which is usually the busiest on this street, is in an incredibly desolate state. In its 10 years of existence, this is the first time the market has experienced such a period of devastation.
Along the path to the market, there are only a few occasional customers coming in and out. Along the rows of kiosks, vendors spend most of their time... playing with their phones, waiting for customers.
"Usually after Tet, sales decrease, but never to the extent of this year. Usually, customers start to come in around noon, but now I've been sitting there almost all day and still haven't seen anyone come to buy anything," said Ms. Be, a vendor at the market.
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| At the stalls, the number of customers has decreased significantly compared to usual (Photo: Trong Khang). |
Ms. Be has been doing business at Hoang Hoa Tham second-hand market for 5 years, this is the first time she has witnessed such a sluggish business.
"Predicting that there would be fewer customers after Tet, I intentionally imported fewer goods, but now I still can't sell them all. Many small businesses here have extended their Tet holiday, closing their stalls and waiting until next month to reopen," she said.
Every day, Ms. Be earns 4-5 million VND from selling used clothes at the market. However, the merchant is still sad because her revenue is not as good as before.
According to Mr. Phuong, an employee of Ut Van stall, over the past 20 years, this stall has had a steady revenue of tens of millions of VND per day.
This figure, the surrounding vendors commented, used to be "normal". But now earning a few million dong a day is difficult.
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| The entrance to the market is incredibly deserted (Photo: Trong Khang). |
"Unable to hold on, some small traders have closed their stalls and given up their space. Normally, we look forward to selling Tet goods to make up for the slow months of the year. But this year, business at the market is very sluggish. Many small stalls, with owners lacking capital, had to liquidate their goods, give up their space and switch to other jobs," Mr. Phuong sighed.
According to Mr. Huy, a revenue of several million VND per day is not enough for small traders to manage and break even.
"If we keep going like this, we won't be able to survive. I have to learn more about online sales to earn some income. This product requires a lot of capital, we have to constantly rotate capital, so if we can only sell a few million VND/day, it will be difficult to sustain for a long time," said Mr. Huy.
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| In a hurry to pay the bill for the customer, Ms. Be temporarily put her lunch on hold (Photo: Trong Khang). |
The market once provided... 9 houses
"Second-hand" clothes are popular with young people because of their cheap price, "quality", unique and eye-catching designs. In the past, every time there was a new shipment, the stall announced that customers would show up early, line up, and jostle each other to grab each shirt and dress. But that scene has long since faded away.
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| Retailers reduce prices, selling products for 5,000 VND/product but still have few buyers (Photo: Trong Khang). |
Ms. Be, a vendor at the market, has been in the second-hand goods business for five years. Despite the difficult situation that has lasted for nearly a year, she still tries to stick with it because she misses the job that has helped her support her family for many years.
"If I quit my job, I wouldn't know what to do, so I still tried to stick with it. It's a difficult time for everyone, so I had to accept it. Now I sell not only for the revenue but also because I still love and miss the job," Ms. Be explained.
Stall owner Ut Van confirmed that thanks to this used goods stall, his mother was able to buy 9 houses, taking care of the whole family for many years.
Original article link:
https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/tieu-thuong-cho-do-si-tiec-thoi-tien-nhu-gioo-mua-9-can-nha-20240313172902094.htm?
According to Dan Tri Newspaper
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