Ho Chi Minh City: Business is sluggish and many small vendors have abandoned their stalls

DNHN - While economic activity has resumed normalcy, sales at Ho Chi Minh City markets remain weak. According to small vendors, this is partly because of the pandemic's influence, but also because increasing internet businesses diminishes purchasing power in marketplaces.

At An Dong market in district 5, which is renowned as Ho Chi Minh City's largest and oldest wholesale centre. However, this location has remained vacant since the end of social separation; small sellers are so "hungry" for clients that they abandon numerous stalls.

While strolling around the markets, numerous stall owners looked through their phones or conversed, the number of sellers is more than the buyers.

In particular, on the 2nd and 3rd floors, there are places to sell fabrics, clothes, shoes, ... there are rental and franchise areas for a whole row of stalls. The rental price ranges from only 10-15 million a month but it is still difficult, even many stall owners promise a discount for tenants because they know the difficult business times due to the epidemic. 

The Ben Thanh Market, the Ba Chieu market, the Hoang Hoa Tham market, the Tan Binh market, and the Ong Ta market all face comparable challenges. Ms Nga, a food stall owner, explained that Ben Thanh market is mostly a tourist destination, but since the outbreak, tourists have experienced an uptick in business. Although the economy and tourism are open, they continue to lose, and the shops continue to struggle to sell - Ms Nga stated.

"Previously, the market sold for more than six hours," a store owner at Ong Ta market explained, "but the epidemic has slowed business to the point where it cannot be sold, and so many people clean up from 4:00."

A small trader at Hoang Hoa Tham market, Tan Binh said: stalls that are closed are usually rented. Now people can't afford to continue renting, so they have to quit. They, too, are suffering.

MMsAnh, who trades in Ben Thanh market, said that her stall is still in operation because it belongs to the house, only paying taxes, but not renting space, so she can stay. However, it still has to narrow the area because there are no guests and it no longer has the strength to hire staff.

Since the covid 19 pandemic began, many people have become increasingly interested in internet shopping. The popularity of online shopping has grown, but the number of people visiting traditional marketplaces has declined dramatically. According to experts, the industrial sector has begun to revive, but the service industry continues to witness "blaccoloursrs" in the conventional market.

 Quang Dao