Valentine's Day coincides with the 27th day of the Lunar New Year: Flower shops complain 'only 1/10 of last year's sales, very few customers buying gifts'.

This year, Valentine's Day (February 14th) falls on the 27th day of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse 2026), so the fresh flower market in Ho Chi Minh City is significantly less vibrant than in previous years. Many shop owners admit that the number of orders has dropped sharply, with some places seeing only 1/10 of last year's volume.

At her flower shop located on Le Van Sy Street ( Ho Chi Minh City ), Ms. Bich Truc is trying to sell off her remaining stock on February 14th before returning to her hometown to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with her family. According to Ms. Truc, in previous years , the shop had to increase staff during Valentine's Day because of the overwhelming number of orders. However, this year, the staff have been returning home early. In fact, with the number of orders sold, Ms. Truc can still manage everything on her own.

According to her, from morning to noon she only sold about "a dozen or twenty orders," and revenue was "about 1/10 less than last year." She explained that the economy this year is not as stable as before, and it also fell on the 27th day of the lunar month, so many people had gone back to their hometowns, leaving the city deserted.

At another flower shop, Ms. Pham Thi Lien Chi, who has been in the business for over 20 years, said that this year there was almost no special preparation for Valentine's Day . "This year's Valentine's Day sales are just spontaneous, without any preparation. The number of purchases is very small, less than 1/10 of what it used to be," Ms. Chi said.

Ms. Chi said that the amount of flowers sold this year is only about 1/10 of what it was in previous years.

PHOTO: HO HIEN

According to Ms. Chi, when Valentine's Day falls close to Tet (Lunar New Year), people usually spend their money and time shopping and preparing to return to their hometowns.

Not only are there fewer customers, but shipping costs are also soaring during this period. Ms. Chi said that shipping prices during holidays are already higher than usual, but they can double closer to Tet (Lunar New Year). "I've had to pay double since this morning. These days, in this business, we just have to sell for fun," she said.

Besides the timing factor, the hot and sunny weather in Ho Chi Minh City in the days leading up to Tet, sometimes with intense midday sun, also affects the fresh flower business. Some shops have therefore switched to selling woolen flowers or handmade flowers to reduce the risk of wilting.

Flower prices this year have generally not increased dramatically like in previous peak seasons; in fact, some shops have maintained prices or offered slight discounts to stimulate demand. However, purchasing power remains noticeably low. Many shop owners admit they are only selling at a moderate pace, hoping the market will pick up again after Tet (Lunar New Year).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/valentine-trung-27-tet-shop-hoa-than-chi-bang-1-10-nam-ngoai-khach-mua-tang-rat-it-185260214203007285.htm