Spa branded handbags
Mr. Pham Hoang Tung is the owner of a handbag manufacturing workshop in Area E, Thanh Xuan Bac Collective, Thanh Xuan District (Hanoi). During the days leading up to Tet, especially from the middle of the 11th lunar month, his workshop receives dozens of branded bags for repair and spa every day.
Mr. Tung's workshop has 8 workers, working almost full weeks because there are too many bags sent to the spa during Tet. According to Mr. Tung, the price of a branded leather bag can range from several hundred thousand to several million VND. "If the customer only uses the basic cleaning service, the price is 300,000 - 700,000 VND/bag, depending on the size and material. With the service of repairing scratches or replacing accessories (buttons, locks), the price is from 1 - 4 million VND depending on the service. A skilled worker in my workshop can earn millions of VND/day" - Mr. Tung said.
According to Mr. Tung, with many handbags worth billions, customers often do not hesitate to spend a few million dong to renew and soften the leather... In particular, with orders to remove the old bag form to design a new, unique model according to customer requirements, workers can be paid up to 5 million dong for labor.
Pruning bonsai, grafting orchid pots
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh - owner of Lalina orchid shop on Trung Kinh street (Cau Giay district, Hanoi) - said that in previous years, from the beginning of the 12th lunar month, her shop had to hire 2 flower arrangers to serve the needs of Tet, the workers' wages could be up to millions of VND/day. After the 15th of the 12th lunar month, due to a sudden increase in orders, the workers' wages could be up to 2 million VND/day. However, without a previous relationship, not every shop can hire a satisfactory flower arranger.
“Even after 9pm when the workers are off at the shop, I can still go to the customer’s house to arrange flowers as requested. Depending on the difficulty, the number of flowers and accessories, some flower pots take several hours to arrange, with complex shapes, workers can easily earn millions of dong,” said Ms. Thanh.
Not only are flower arrangers in the city busy during Tet, many famous bonsai artists in Thanh Hoa and Nam Dinh provinces are also overwhelmed with work during Tet.
Mr. Dau Duy Nghia is a long-time bonsai maker in Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province. With 40 years of experience, Mr. Nghia is in high demand for bonsai repair orders during Tet.
“Since the beginning of the fourth quarter of the lunar calendar, I have been to many garden houses in Thanh Hoa, Ha Nam, Hanoi, and Thai Binh to prune trees for acquaintances. The bonsai trees are worth hundreds of millions, even billions of dong, so the creation is not cheap. During the 2024 Tet season, I earned nearly 50 million dong thanks to “running around” to prune trees in the provinces,” Mr. Nghia revealed.
Pet care
Currently, the average boarding service price at centers for dogs and cats ranges from 100,000 VND - 350,000 VND/day (depending on weight). If customers want their pets to be meticulously cared for and sleep in more luxurious places, the price can go up to millions of VND per day. This service has been so popular in recent years that if customers do not book in advance, they will not be able to leave their pets because all stores are full of customers.
Due to the high supply, people working in pet care services and veterinarians also have quite high incomes during Tet. According to the owner of a pet care center in Hoang Mai district (Hanoi), during the Lunar New Year 2024, the income of half a month before, during and after Tet for each employee working in rotation (working 1 day, taking 1 day off) is 10 million VND/person.
