Ho Chi Minh City shoppers take advantage of early Black Friday sales

Fashion retailers began offering discounts in early November ahead of the year-end shopping season, attracting consumers to promotional sales.

Many shoppers have chosen to buy products before Black Friday rather than wait until November 27.

Deep discounts attract shoppers

An on-site report by Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper showed that a large number of shoppers at a retail venue on Hoang Van Thu Street in Ho Chi Minh City at noon on November 4.

Customers at clothing and footwear stalls checked prices, searched for suitable sizes and tried on products before purchasing them.

Branded shoes attracted considerable interest, with some models listed at several million dong discounted to around VND400,000 (US$15).

Some clothing products were advertised at discounts of 80-95 percent.

A shirt listed at VND1.09 million ($41) was selling for VND199,000 ($8), while sportswear was priced at VND195,000 ($7).

Phone accessories, keychains and notebooks were also available for VND25,000 ($1) or more.

Nguyen Thi My Dy, 23, a resident of Cho Lon Ward, visited the venue on her day off to buy clothes for her family.

She said she had not prepared a shopping list or set a spending limit, instead selecting products based on their designs.

Dy bought two shirts for younger family members at a 50 percent discount.

"I heard this promotion only takes place once a year, so I came to have a look. If I find something I like, I'll buy it," she said.

Ta Trung Tinh, a resident of Binh Dong Ward, visited the venue to look for sports shoes.

He said he might also buy clothes if he found suitable products, but planned to spend no more than VND2 million ($76).

"I don't shop based on Black Friday or any particular holiday, but on when I have free time. When I'm free, I go shopping rather than waiting for a holiday," he said.

Shoppers combine orders to obtain additional discounts

Prices remain a major factor in consumers' purchasing decisions, according to a YouNet ECI report on e-commerce in the first half of 2026.

The report found that 68 percent of respondents considered selling prices the most important factor when shopping online, while 53 percent cited promotions.

At the retail venue, customers buying at least five products received an additional 10 percent discount, while purchases of 10 or more items qualified for an extra 15 percent discount.

Some shoppers invited friends to combine their purchases to meet the required quantities and obtain higher discounts.

Others used video calls to show products to relatives, check designs and colors, and confirm sizes before buying items on their behalf.

The purchases were combined into single bills to qualify for volume-based discounts.

A shopper identified only as Linh, a resident of Phu Thuan Ward, bought 19 clothing items with a combined listed price of around VND15.8 million ($600).

She paid VND1,613,300 ($61) after discounts.

Linh said she regularly followed promotional campaigns and bought products when she found items that met her preferences, rather than waiting for Black Friday.

"If something looks nice, I'll buy it," she said.

Early promotional campaigns give consumers more opportunities to shop ahead of the year-end season.

However, discounts calculated against listed prices do not necessarily mean products are cheaper than their prevailing market prices.

Consumers should compare prices and assess their actual needs before purchasing additional items solely to qualify for volume-based discounts.