Start early
Although there are still about 2 months until Mid-Autumn Festival, on some streets such as April 30, Mau Than, Hoa Binh Avenue (Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City),... many moon cake stalls have begun to take to the streets. Most of these stalls display familiar mooncake brands such as Kinh Do, Nhu Lan, Dong Khanh,...
Ms. Nguyen Nhu Ngoc - representative of a cake counter in Ninh Kieu district (Can Tho city), said that this year, the prices of cakes are similar to last year, not much different. Accordingly, sweet cakes are priced from 45,000 - 80,000 VND/cake; Moon cakes with mixed filling range from 65,000 - 90,000 VND/cake; Special mixed cakes range from 100,000 - 400,000 VND/cake.
“In addition to the delicious taste, the cakes are also packaged with eye-catching designs, suitable for both buying and giving as gifts. This year, when I go to town early, I mainly want to find a nice location to welcome guests conveniently," Ms. Ngoc said.
Similarly, candy stores and department stores are also preparing to offer moon cakes.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien - owner of a candy store in Ninh Kieu district (Can Tho city) - has started selling moon cakes in recent days. According to Ms. Lien, this year, cakes not only have many flavors but also have diverse designs.
“The prices of cakes this year have not increased. Some cakes are packaged, including beautiful boxes. Besides popular cakes such as green bean pies, mixed roasted chicken, mixed scallops, etc., I also import some types of sticky rice cakes, printed cakes... to serve customers," Ms. Lien said.
Import goods in moderation
Going to the streets early to welcome customers, but learning from last year's experience combined with stormy weather, many sellers have not boldly imported goods in large quantities because of concerns about slow purchasing power.
“Last year, I imported a large number of cakes because I thought that after the epidemic, purchasing power would increase. But unexpectedly, the gloomy sales situation also competes with the online mooncake market , so at the end of the season, prices have to be greatly reduced to regain capital. Therefore, this year, I will divide it into several batches and import cakes in appropriate quantities depending on customer needs," Ms. Ngoc shared.
Currently, Ms. Ngoc's cake counter mainly sells popular products with prices ranging from 45,000 - 90,000 VND/cake. Particularly high-end lines are displayed in small quantities.
Ms. Lien said that currently, most customers only come to check prices because the Mid -Autumn Festival is still quite far away. Accordingly, medium-segment cakes priced under 100,000 VND/cake are of interest to many consumers.
“These past few days, the weather has been stormy, and not many people have come to the store. Some customers saw moon cakes on display so they asked about the price but did not rush to buy them. Therefore, for each design I only import a few for display, and do not dare to take in many. Seeing how purchasing power and customer demand are, I will import more in the near future," Ms. Lien said.
