Consumer trends during Tet are cautious and practical.

Unlike previous Tet seasons, the consumer market for the 2026 Lunar New Year in Ho Chi Minh City is witnessing several prominent trends, reflecting people's shopping behavior amidst a volatile economy and increasingly "smart" and practical consumption habits.

People shop at the Go! supermarket in Tan My ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Huong Giang/TTXVN

Tradition combined with new trends

According to market experts, Tet 2026 is not just a single traditional shopping period, but a convergence point of many consumer trends that have been developing throughout 2025. Today's consumers no longer spend impulsively but are beginning to calculate, compare prices, and make more rational choices, focusing on practicality and convenience while still preserving the cultural values ​​of traditional Tet.

Based on an analysis of consumer data for 2025, Ms. Nguyen Phuong Nga, Business Director of Numerator Vietnam (Kantar Vietnam – a leading global data and information company), noted that consumer goods during Tet (Lunar New Year) will continue to experience strong growth compared to normal days, demonstrating that Vietnamese consumers have not abandoned the tradition of giving gifts during Tet. However, the gift categories will shift from luxury and display items to products with high practical application in daily life.

“52% of consumers are shopping more for their families, but prioritizing actual needs over appearances is the biggest change this Tet season. Instead of preparing many gifts for social occasions, consumers will prioritize shopping for themselves and their families, as well as those with truly close relationships,” analyzed Ms. Nguyen Phuong Nga.

Furthermore, Ms. Nga argued that the boom in processed foods, particularly frozen foods, sausages, and ready-to-heat condiments, as well as "Ready to Heat" products, is dominating the market and partly demonstrates current consumer trends. This reflects the lifestyles of young consumers who may not be skilled in cooking but still desire warm, family meals.

From the perspective of a company specializing in the production of spices, Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung, General Director of Dh Foods JSC, said that in 2025, the company will focus on promoting its line of convenient sauces and seasonings for dipping or cooking, which have been enthusiastically received by young people. This is the motivation for the company to continue researching and developing product lines suitable for today's young consumers.

“Many young people are busy but still want to enjoy home-cooked meals. They just need to buy ready-made seasonings and mix them with meat or fish to have a complete dish. This product line of ours is growing, especially towards the end of the year, showing that consumer trends are increasingly leaning towards convenience while still preserving traditional elements,” Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung shared.

A fast-moving consumer goods manufacturer, Tan Quang Minh Production and Trading Co., Ltd. also relies on market research and consumer preferences to refresh its Tet product line. In addition to focusing on natural, health-beneficial ingredients, the company diversifies product types and sizes, launching combos to meet the needs of the whole family.

“Traditional Tet remains a time for family reunions, with people readily spending on meals and gifts, but prioritizing quality and value. Therefore, manufacturers like us must adapt and adjust to increase product appeal during the Tet season,” said Mr. Nguyen Dang Hien, General Director of Tan Quang Minh Production and Trading Co., Ltd.

In particular, many consumers tend to shop for Tet online, through e-commerce channels, and finalize orders via livestreaming sessions. This is also a modern Tet shopping trend, expected to boom this Tet season, and is being anticipated by many businesses.

prudent spending and value orientation

Market experts also pointed out a noteworthy aspect of this year's Tet holiday: consumers in Ho Chi Minh City are becoming increasingly cautious in their spending, balancing needs with financial realities amidst inflation and high living costs. Many families are choosing to shop early, compare prices, and select practical and more economical products than before, instead of shopping impulsively as in previous Tet seasons.

The trend of early Tet shopping is quite popular among many city dwellers, allowing them to take advantage of promotions and discounts, as well as spread out their Tet holiday spending. Capitalizing on this trend, many modern retail systems have been displaying Tet goods and gift baskets since December, both to meet early shopping demands and to gauge market trends for a sound business strategy.

As a young consumer, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thao from Tan Hung ward (Ho Chi Minh City) said that although she spends quite a lot on end-of-year shopping, she still prioritizes practical products with high usability and many promotions. "Celebrating Tet" is closely linked to "enjoying Tet," so she chooses products that can meet both needs.

Many retailers have also noticed the cautious spending trend during the Tet holiday season, so they are aggressively stimulating demand at the end of the year. A representative from the Saigon Co.op system stated that this year's Tet theme extends from mid-December to February 16th, 2026, with four promotional programs based on consumer behavior, launching product groups at different times. Preparing a 35-40% increase in inventory for strategic items, increasing the proportion of high-quality Vietnamese products, along with 2,600 products with direct discounts and 140,000 gifts for member customers… are some of the strategies this system is employing to attract customers during this year's Tet season.

According to Mr. Tran Minh Van, Director of Supermarket Channel Sales at FrieslandCampina Vietnam, the Tet holiday season still plays a special role in the revenue structure of fast-moving consumer goods businesses, potentially contributing 30-40% of first-quarter revenue. Consumer spending during this period is typically 1.5-2 times higher than in a normal month. However, shopping behavior has changed significantly. Consumers no longer buy out of habit, but carefully consider the balance between price, value received, and the experience at the point of sale.

"Customers now make decisions very quickly, but not impulsively. They look, compare, and consider in a few seconds standing in front of the shelf," Mr. Tran Minh Van observed.

From that perspective, Mr. Tran Minh Van pointed out that consumers are choosing Tet shopping destinations not only for buying and selling, but also for experiencing and "seeing" Tet. Therefore, to enhance the customer experience, retailers must grasp consumer preferences, invest more in brand identity, then in product quality and the genuine value that consumers will receive and take home.

According to Ms. Vu Kim Hanh, President of the Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Goods Businesses, surveys consistently show a trend of consumers tightening their spending and focusing on essential products. This forces businesses to adapt if they don't want to fall behind the market.

"In the current cautious and discerning consumer mindset, we see that businesses have changed significantly, from product specifications—instead of large packages, they are now offering smaller packages with more attractive packaging. Products are also paying attention to standards and exploiting local resources, meaning using locally sourced materials, to optimize costs and increase usability," shared Ms. Vu Kim Hanh.

The 2026 Tet holiday season in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to follow a trend of practical, convenient, and experiential consumption, both inheriting traditions and applying many modern shopping trends, thereby clearly demonstrating the "evolution" in consumer behavior in a dynamic and market-savvy urban area like Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/xu-huong-tieu-dung-tet-than-trong-va-thiet-thuc-20251225145646172.htm