Quiet Christmas Market

These days, the market for Christmas gifts and decorations in the city offers a wide variety of goods, but purchasing power remains quite sluggish.

The Christmas market offers a wide variety of goods, but there are few shoppers.

According to observations at many shops on streets specializing in Christmas decorations such as Au Co, Phan Chau Trinh, Dien Bien Phu, Le Duan, Trung Nu Vuong, Hung Vuong, etc., the stalls are brightly decorated in red with many new designs. However, the number of shoppers is not as high as the traders had hoped.

Small Christmas trees, 0.5-1.2m tall, suitable for decorating homes, apartments, or small shops, range from 230,000 VND to over 1,200,000 VND depending on materials and level of decoration. Wreaths cost from 130,000 VND to 800,000 VND depending on the design. Christmas accessories such as ornaments, bells, ribbons, glasses, headbands, and Santa Claus costumes continue to be popular items, with prices ranging from 20,000 VND to 500,000 VND depending on size and material.

Hoang Khanh Hung, an employee at a shop on Hung Vuong Street (Hai Chau Ward), said that although the shop opened and started taking orders for Christmas tree decorations in early December, the number of customers this year is still very limited. “The market is more sluggish than last year. People are tightening their spending, so they are less likely to buy high-end decorations, mainly buying a few small accessories to decorate themselves.” According to Hung, the number of customers this year has decreased significantly.

Customers mainly choose small accessories to decorate themselves. Photo: KH

One major reason is that the prices of many goods have increased slightly compared to last year. “The price increase is due to the scarcity of imported raw materials, high transportation costs, and some changes in tax policies. Many factories have also adjusted their prices upwards, resulting in higher retail prices this year.”

On Au Co Street (Lien Chieu Ward), Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, owner of a Christmas decoration shop, said that this year her business imported goods in two batches to ensure a steady supply. “The first batch was in October to find reasonable prices for customers. The second batch in November was to add new designs according to current trends. The goods are very diverse, but purchasing power is slower than in previous years,” Ms. Minh said.

Many customers are opting for budget-friendly shopping. Mr. Bui Minh Duc from An Ngai Tay residential area (Hoa Khanh ward) said: “My family reused the Christmas tree and many old accessories from last year, only buying a few additional decorations to add a touch of style. The prices are reasonable, and going directly to the store helps me choose the right products.”

According to small business owners, consumers this year tend to prioritize spending on essential items and reuse old decorations to save money, resulting in a noticeable decrease in purchasing power.

The main group of early shoppers consists of fashion store owners, cafes, service businesses, etc., who need to decorate their spaces to attract customers. This is a stable customer group, usually starting their shopping from the end of October to the beginning of November each year. Walking along the central streets, you can easily spot elaborately decorated displays, from Christmas trees and Santa Claus models to LED lighting systems that create focal points. Many people choose to capture beautiful moments in the approaching Christmas atmosphere...

Source: https://baodanang.vn/tram-lang-thi-truong-giang-sinh-3314087.html