According to records in the first days of June, the business atmosphere at An Dong Trade Center was quite quiet. On the 2nd floor, the stalls were once packed with goods and sellers, now only the rolling doors are locked. Some stalls open with only a few staff members on duty, mainly to keep goods or "time savings" by surfing the phone, watching movies or chatting.
Ms. H.T.N - a trader who has been at An Dong Shopping Center for more than 15 years - sadly shared: "A few years ago, this place was very crowded, with large customers from morning to afternoon. Now there are more sellers than buyers. There are days when I can't close any orders".
According to Ms. N, declining purchasing power, combined with fierce competition from online shopping platforms, has caused traditional traders to fall into a difficult situation.
This situation has not only occurred in recent months, but has lasted for more than a year. Many traders have had to pay the stakes, or find ways to turn the business model around.
"Some people switched to selling online, some returned to their hometown, and quit their jobs. The number of customers has decreased sharply, causing losses" - Mr. T.V.H, owner of a men's fashion stall, said.
The situation of sluggish trading is also happening at many other traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City. Faced with this situation, many traders hope to have practical support solutions from authorities to revive business operations. Recognizing these difficulties, the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City is gradually implementing policies to reform the traditional market system.
The representative of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City said that the city is choosing to pilot the model of people's markets, to group functional orientation development according to the function of trade, tourism or specific services, improve service quality, form policies to attract investment to mobilize social participation in the development of the market system.
It is expected that about a few dozen markets will be cleared, relocated or converted into flower shops, neighborhoods, and community activity points. In particular, some markets will be converted into supermarkets, supermarkets combined with markets or can be converted into session markets, markets selling special, specialized products.
