On-demand gifts attract customers for graduation
At the end of April, when universities began to hold graduation ceremonies for students, many gift shops in Hanoi recorded a significant increase in orders.
Ms. Phan Hoa (24 years old, Ba Dinh ward, Hanoi) - representative of a handicraft gift shop - said that although it is not the peak season of the year, the proportion of orders for the graduation occasion is still clearly increasing.
For my store, occasions like March 8th or October 20th are usually the peak season. However, starting from April this year, graduation gifts account for about 60-70% of the total number of gifts," Ms. Hoa said.
According to Ms. Hoa, customers are mainly students, those who attend graduation ceremonies of friends and relatives. Because they have to prepare gifts for many people, they often consider costs and prioritize products with reasonable prices.
Ms. Hoa's store focuses on providing handicrafts, designed according to customer requirements such as woolen flowers, medals, photo frames... These products are popular because they both bear the personal imprint of both the giver and the receiver, and are suitable for the pockets of students.
Products that can write wishes or print photos on request are always chosen by customers a lot. For example, a medal costs 35,000 VND/piece, suitable for buying a large quantity to give to a group of friends while still ensuring meaning," Ms. Phan Hoa shared.
On average, Ms. Hoa's store processes about 30 orders per day. Because products are designed according to requirements, mass production is impossible, requiring the store to carefully calculate costs and production time to both ensure the uniqueness of the product and maintain a price suitable for customers, mostly students.
Sharing about spending for the "graduation season", Ms. Dang Thi Thanh Nhan (22 years old, Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) said: "To prepare for the graduation ceremony, I plan to spend about 2 million VND on items such as renting dresses, buying flowers and gifts, scheduling photographers... I choose to buy gifts at online shops because there are many new designs, and the prices are also clearly listed, so it is easy to calculate costs.
Graduation photo demand increases sharply
Along with gifts, graduation photo service is also entering its peak period. Mr. Tran Minh Duong (20 years old, Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) - a freelance photographer with 3 years of experience - said that his schedule has been almost full since the beginning of April.
According to Mr. Duong, unlike students of all levels who take photos on weekends, graduates have a photoshoot schedule for all days of the week. The current photoshoot price ranges from 1.5 million VND per morning, or from 2.3 - 3.5 million VND per day, depending on the photoshoot package and customer requirements.
Mr. Tran Minh Duong said: "Customers today have more specific requirements for photo colors, accessories, posing styles, requiring photographers like me to advise and prepare carefully.
Besides the increase in the number of customers, work during peak season also comes with many difficulties. According to Mr. Duong, consulting prices suitable for each customer, external factors such as weather, the health of the photographer... all affect the working process. "There are days when many classes schedule at the same time, we have to receive and coordinate the shooting schedule continuously," Mr. Duong said.
Thanks to the increase in customers, Mr. Tran Minh Duong's income this season has also improved significantly, reaching 10 million VND per day from taking and editing photos.
The graduation service market in Hanoi not only brings income to businesses but also creates job opportunities for many students. However, to maintain long-term and have stable income in this period, service providers must carefully calculate operating procedures, promptly grasp new trends to meet the needs of young consumers.
