Preferential floodwaters
Since the beginning of July, the shopping atmosphere at shopping malls such as Takashimaya, Vincom, AEON Mall, Saigon Centre... has become bustling. It is easy to see images of "Sale up to 70%", "Only from 99,000 VND" signs hanging red in front of many famous fashion stores such as Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Mango...
Inside, a series of summer clothing stalls such as T-shirts, dresses, shorts, and accessories were simultaneously heavily discounted, attracting a large number of consumers to choose, try on clothes, and queue to pay.
Supermarket systems in the city also joined the competition with a series of in-depth promotional programs. Lotte Mart has launched a series of attractive incentives such as buying 1 get 1 free, buying 2 for 1 fee, drawing for prizes... applied to more than 6,000 items, with discounts of up to 50%. The MM Mega Market system is also participating in the discount race, with incentives from 20-50% along with diverse gift combos.
Ms. Le Kim Ngan (living in Tan My ward), taking advantage of her lunch break to visit VivoCity shopping mall, said: I see that the companies have all reduced prices, some dishes are nearly half as cheap as usual. However, I only choose to buy a few necessary items for my family. At this time, you have to consider everything you buy.
Similarly, Mr. Tran Thanh Hoa - a worker at Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone - shared: "In the past few days, I have been able to buy a few shirts at very cheap prices. With the income of workers, having such a promotion is a great thing".
Proactive businesses, abundant goods
According to Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, the focused promotion program "Shopping Season 2025" is being implemented on the largest scale ever, divided into two main phases: from June 15 to September 15 and November 15 to December 31.
This year, more than 10,000 businesses have registered to participate, with nearly 80,000 simultaneous promotional activities across the city. In addition to traditional points of sale, the new point is that the program is being implemented in industrial parks and export processing zones - where a large concentration of low-income workers is concentrated, helping to approach more realistically the subjects that need consumer support" - Mr. Phuong said.
In addition, the city also sets high requirements for transparency of promotional information and the origin of goods, to ensure that people have access to products of the right value and quality. Enterprises are allowed to be autonomous in the discount level, provided that they ensure regulations and honesty.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade said that the total retail sales of goods in the area in the first 6 months of 2025 is estimated at VND 304,369 billion, up 13.8% over the same period last year. Although the market is stable and there is no shortage of goods, people's consumption behavior is tending to tighten spending, prioritize purchasing essential goods and consider more carefully.
In the context of many economic difficulties, purchasing power has not really recovered strongly, stimulus programs such as "Shopping Season 2025" are expected to contribute to stimulating domestic consumption, promoting production - business, and at the same time creating conditions for people to access quality goods at reasonable prices.
