Ho Van Hue Street, nearly 1 km long, connecting Hoang Van Thu with Nguyen Kiem, was once known as the "way to happiness" of Ho Chi Minh City when it gathered a series of wedding dress shops, vest shops, photo studios, makeup shops and services serving the big day.
However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, many stores on this street successively closed and returned premises. To date, this situation continues, causing rows of wedding service stores that once stood side by side, now appearing many empty spaces.
Recorded on August 20, along Ho Van Hue street, many stores have closed, covered with tarpaulins or hanging signs for rent. Notably, in some sections, 2-3 adjacent premises have closed, making an already bustling area deserted.
Previously, when walking along this route, customers could easily encounter a series of wedding dress shops, wedding vest shops, photo studios and wedding day services. The concentration of business types creates a characteristic specialized business area, attracting customers from many places to come.
But currently, many stores have left. Some signs still exist but are not operating inside, while many premises are posted with rental notices.
Mr. Le Cao Bach, a resident living on this street, said that the rental price of premises on Ho Van Hue street currently fluctuates around 50 - 70 million VND/month, depending on location and area. Meanwhile, the demand for wedding services has changed a lot, causing many stores to have difficulty maintaining operations.
The costs of renting premises, manpower and operation are all high, while customers are increasingly considering more carefully before spending money. Therefore, many wedding dress brand owners cannot afford the costs, so they have to return the premises, move to another location or narrow down the scale" - Mr. Bach said.
Meanwhile, some stores that are still operating are quite quiet, deserted, even with signs offering 30-50% discounts for customers.
Data from Batdongsan. com. vn shows that in the second quarter of 2026, townhouse rental prices in Ho Chi Minh City simultaneously decreased compared to the previous quarter. In which, District 10 and District 11 (before the merger) recorded a decrease of more than 20%; District 1 (before the merger) decreased by nearly 9%. Districts 4, 5, 7, Binh Thanh and Phu Nhuan (before the merger) also decreased by 7-16%.
According to brokerage units, the number of customers looking to rent premises in the first half of this year decreased significantly, while the supply increased by about 20-30% compared to the same period. To attract tenants, many homeowners have to reduce deposits, extend the time for exemption or repair support, and at the same time relax some clauses in contracts.
