In the context of the Mid-Autumn Festival cake market becoming increasingly diverse in brands, designs and sales channels, traditional cake stalls in Ho Chi Minh City such as Phuong Diem Thuan, Nhu Lan... still maintain their own number of customers. On peak days, customers may have to queue for 30 minutes to more than an hour to buy cakes, while the daily consumption output is up to thousands of pieces.
Recorded on September 6, at Phuong Diem Thuan bakery on Pham Phu Thu street, Binh Tien ward, the number of customers coming to buy cakes was quite bustling. This is a bakery with a history from 1985, with more than 4 decades of attachment to the Mid-Autumn Festival cake making profession.
A noteworthy point is that the shop does not develop according to a multi-branch model and does not sell on a large scale on e-commerce platforms. Most customers still come directly to the store to buy cakes. Therefore, on peak days, the number of customers gathering at the shop is quite large, and they have to wait for their turn.
Traditional flavored cake lines such as pineapple pineapple, coconut taro, green tea, and roasted chicken mix are sought after by many customers. Some types that have just been put on shelves have quickly run out of stock. The current price of cakes ranges from about 89,000-262,000 VND/piece, depending on the type and size.
“I came here from Thuan An ward to buy cakes as gifts for friends and relatives on this Mid-Autumn Festival. For me, traditional mooncakes still have their own appeal because of the familiar flavor and meaning of the gift on the occasion of reunion,” said Ms. Luong Thi Linh, living in Thuan An ward.
However, at about 10 am, the bakery announced that it was out of stock and asked customers to return in the afternoon. Some customers said they had to try to arrive early to avoid waiting for a long time, while those who arrived late may have to return at another time or choose the type of cake still in stock.
I wanted to buy a few boxes as Mid-Autumn gifts, but when I arrived, the cakes were sold out, so I was a little regretful for having to come here. If I knew there were so many customers and goods were sold out early, next time I would take advantage of going early in the morning or contacting to pre-order" - Mr. Hoang Bach (living in Cho Lon ward) said.
Not only Phuong Diem Thuan, Nhu Lan is also a long-standing cake brand in Ho Chi Minh City that maintains a stable number of customers every Mid-Autumn Festival season. The listed price ranges from about 65,000 VND for some sticky cake lines to 770,000 VND for large-sized products with premium fillings.
Buying 3 boxes of mooncakes at Nhu Lan store on Ham Nghi street, Saigon ward, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ngan (living in Tan Thuan ward) said: "My family buys mooncakes here every year to eat and give to relatives. I like mooncakes here because of their familiar taste, many types of fillings to choose from. Mid-Autumn Festival is a family gathering occasion, so I often buy a few boxes, one part for the whole family to use, one part to give to grandparents and friends. Although there are many new types of mooncakes on the market, I still tend to choose brands that have been familiar for a long time.
Instead of focusing entirely on new designs or trendy product lines, these bakery stores maintain their appeal with traditional flavors, shopping habits and trust accumulated over many years.
In particular, the demand for buying cakes as gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival continues to be an important driving force for purchasing power. This is also the reason why some traditional bakery stores can maintain a large number of customers even if they do not strongly expand their distribution system.
