The Mid-Autumn Festival cake market in Ho Chi Minh City is entering a period of strong price reduction when there are only a few days left until the full moon of August. On many streets such as Cach Mang Thang Tam, 3 Thang 2, Hai Thuong Lan Ong..., cake stalls are starting to hang promotional signs with high preferential prices, instead of keeping prices as at the beginning of the season.
On September 19, surveys at some points of sale showed that "buy 1 get 1 free", "buy 1 get 2 free", even "buy 1 get 4" programs for some cake lines are being applied quite commonly. Even, in some places, cakes are sold retail at prices from 20,00-25,000 VND/piece.
At a mooncake stall on Hai Thuong Lan Ong street, when asked about the promotional product "buy 1 becomes 4", the seller pointed to a row of pre-packaged boxes inside with 4 cakes with all kinds of fillings, from baked cakes to sticky cakes, the lowest type is priced at 200,000 VND/box of 4 cakes. This policy is only being applied to the cake line named Tan Dong Khanh.
For major brands such as Kinh Do, Nhu Lan, Kido,... almost no price reduction policy is applied, cake prices are still sold according to the listed price.
Ms. Dang Thao Hien (selling mooncakes in Cho Lon ward) said that the number of customers buying cakes tends to increase slightly, but consumers are also more interested in prices.
At the beginning of the season, customers mainly buy gifts, but at this time many people buy them to eat in their families. They ask very carefully about the promotion program, which types are given as extra gifts are usually easier to sell" - Ms. Hien said.
According to Ms. Hien, the "buy 1 becomes 4" programs are mainly applied to products of Ly Dong Khanh and Quy Dong Khanh brands.
Meanwhile, buyers said that discount programs help them access mooncakes more easily.
Ms. Le Thi Minh Khanh (living in Thu Duc ward) said that her family used to buy 2-4 boxes of cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year, she waited until near the full moon to buy because she expected many promotions.
My family mainly buys them for eating, without needing too elaborate boxes, so if there is an extra gift program, it will save quite a lot. However, I still carefully check the expiration date, origin and promotional brand before buying" - Ms. Minh Khanh said.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival season, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety recommends that consumers prioritize using products from reputable production facilities and brands with quality registration. Product labels need to fully record information such as product name, manufacturer name, address, instructions for use, production date and expiration date. People should absolutely not buy, sell, or use floating products of unknown origin.
The wrapping of the cake must be intact, not torn or bulging. Delicious baked cakes are golden brown, soft and slightly elastic; the cakes are pliable with a fine layer of flour, soft to hold but not sticky.
Consumers should not choose cakes that run out of slime, have a rancid smell, strange odors or appear white, green, and black moldy spots on the surface.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety also recommends that people buy cakes at fixed points of sale, with glass cabinets to cover, to prevent dust, rain, sun and insects from entering. Do not buy cakes that are sold rampant on the street, products that are floating or have unusually cheap prices.
