Ho Chi Minh City lantern streets bustle as vendors struggle to attract buyers

The survey of lantern stalls on Phu Dinh Street and Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in Cho Lon Ward on Saturday found that the streets were crowded with visitors, while stalls were brightly decorated with lanterns, toys and decorative models in various designs.

Despite the lively atmosphere, however, sales remained slow.

Visitors flock to lantern streets but buy little

Dang Thi Ngoc Cam, a vendor who has sold Mid-Autumn Festival toys on Phu Dinh Street for about 10 years, told Tuoi Tre that doing business had become increasingly difficult in recent years.

Cam said purchasing power was now only about 40 percent of its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level.

She said the profile of visitors to the lantern streets had also changed, with young people now making up a large proportion of those who come mainly to look around and take photos ahead of the festival.

As a result, small lanterns priced at VND10,000-20,000 (US$0.4-0.8) each are among the better-selling items because they are affordable souvenirs for young people, Cam said.

N.T.V., a vendor who has also sold lanterns on the street for nearly 10 years, said the area looked lively and crowded, but sales remained disappointing.

Many young visitors enter her shop mainly to look around and take photos before leaving without buying much, she said.

She nevertheless welcomes them to take photos in her shop, saying that even when they buy only a small lantern, it still adds to her revenue amid the difficult business conditions.

Large lanterns harder to sell

Demand for large lanterns used to decorate cafes, restaurants and eateries has also fallen, according to vendors.

Cam said cafes previously often bought large lanterns in shapes such as fish, airplanes and roosters, but she now avoids stocking many of them because demand has weakened.

She said businesses now mainly buy a few lanterns that are trending online to add a festive touch to their venues.

The market has also seen new lion-shaped lantern designs this year, with prices ranging from VND15,000 to VND150,000 ($0.6-5.7) each depending on the materials, designs and styles, according to the survey.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, a vendor who has run a business on Phu Dinh Street for more than 10 years, told Tuoi Tre that her family began displaying Mid-Autumn Festival products for sale at the beginning of the seventh lunar month.

Her shop has stocked new designs trending online, including rabbit- and lion-shaped lanterns, while adding more small products to suit different budgets, she said.

However, sales have remained moderate and below previous years despite the shop putting the products on display early in the season, Ngan added.

Vendors hope for late-season boost

Besides selling fewer products, vendors are also earning less on each item.

One vendor told Tuoi Tre that an item that previously generated a profit of around VND40,000-50,000 ($1.5-1.9) might now bring only VND15,000-30,000 ($0.6-1.1), or even less.

The vendors hope purchasing power will improve during the final two weeks of the Mid-Autumn Festival season, when more visitors are expected to flock to specialty shopping streets and entertainment venues, particularly on weekends.

A Tuoi Tre survey of specialty streets and several e-commerce platforms found that prices of Mid-Autumn Festival accessories have remained relatively stable this year, ranging from several thousand dong to several hundred thousand dong depending on the product.

Paper lanterns and handmade jade-rabbit lanterns cost around VND15,000-40,000 ($0.6-1.5) each, while traditional glass lanterns in star and animal shapes cost around VND25,000-55,000 ($1.0-2.1) each.

Retro-style decorations are also available, including plain bamboo trays priced at VND15,000-45,000 ($0.6-1.7) each and trays painted with patterns or calligraphy costing around VND40,000-95,000 ($1.5-3.6).

Sets of paper fans, wall lettering and glass decals cost VND25,000-50,000 ($1.0-1.9) per set, while miniature decoration combos featuring balloons and lion-shaped paper fans cost around VND80,000-200,000 ($3.0-7.6).