Mooncake market in Vietnam heats up over 2 months before Mid-Autumn Festival

Mooncakes are commonly given as a gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam, which is also known as the 'Children’s Festival.’

The fest takes place on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, falling on September 25 this year.

Mooncake workshops in Ho Chi Minh City have become busy about two weeks earlier than last year, demonstrating that businesses are seeking to extend the sales period, capture demand for gift purchases, and capitalize on expectations of improved consumer spending.

Some brands that sell mooncakes year-round, including Lam Thuy and Lam Yan, said the Mid-Autumn season remains their peak business period, with a sharp increase in customer numbers during this time.

This year’s mooncake market has gained additional momentum thanks to salted egg snow skin mooncakes, which have gradually become a popular trend and a widely discussed topic on social media platforms.

Nguyen Thi Hong, a 35-year-old resident of Ho Chi Minh City, said she buys mooncakes early every year to give to relatives, but always purchases some for tasting first.

“As this product has become popular, many cake makers are also chasing the trend," she said.

“There are countless price ranges and diverse levels of quality.” 

These salted egg snow skin mooncakes are commonly priced at VND150,000-200,000 (US$5.7-7.6) per piece.

Many bakeries said they have received a sudden surge in orders, with customers constantly sending inquiries and placing orders.

Tran Quoc Dat, a resident of Thanh My Tay Ward in Ho Chi Minh City, said he is currently comparing prices and designs in preparation for ordering gifts for business partners in the coming weeks.

On e-commerce platforms, many official stores began selling mooncakes from early July, offering early-order promotions, time-limited discounts, and hours-long live-stream sales campaigns.

Numerous live-stream sessions attracted thousands of viewers, showcasing both traditional and modern mooncake lines across various price levels.

In the low-price segment, some mooncakes are available for around VND30,000 ($1.1) per piece, while in the mid-range segment, several brands offer products priced at VND90,000-200,000 ($3.3-7.6) per piece, depending on the filling.

At the premium end, many four- and five-star hotels have also launched their mooncake collections since early July.

Prices typically range from around VND900,000 ($34) to nearly VND2 million ($76) per box.

Extending sales season to capture demand

Several mooncake makers said that launching sales early does not necessarily mean expecting consumers to purchase immediately.

Instead, the strategy is aimed at extending the business season, anticipating gift demand, and allowing companies to better prepare production plans.

The well-known Phuong Diem Thuan mooncake shop said it started selling this year about two weeks earlier than last year.

“We decided to bring our products to market earlier as many customers had previously asked about purchases,” a representative of the shop said.

Current sales at the shop have reached about 50 percent of the peak-season level, with around 200-300 customers visiting daily.

Most buyers are individuals purchasing mooncakes for personal enjoyment or gifts for relatives, while corporate orders have not yet become significant.

The shop representative said that although ingredients such as candied winter melon, ginger, and various nuts are produced in-house, allowing the business to maintain quality control, cost pressures remain unavoidable.

Mooncake prices this year are expected to increase by around 5-10 percent depending on product lines, due to higher input costs for ingredients purchased in April and May.

Meanwhile, a representative from BreadTalk said the early launch was a lesson learned from last year’s Mid-Autumn season.

“Last year, we missed many large orders because we were not prepared in time with production capacity and packaging,” said the representative.

“This year, we have changed our marketing strategy, targeting corporate customers earlier than individual buyers, as businesses need time for quotations, budget approval, and order placement."

BreadTalk expects prices to rise by around 10-20 percent this year due to higher ingredient costs, production expenses, and market factors.