What keeps Da Lat Market thriving as traditional markets fade

At 6:00 am, with mist still hanging over Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat, the main entrance to Da Lat Market in Xuan Huong Ward is already open. 

Small trucks line up to deliver vegetables to the market's rear area, where vendors unpack, sort and weigh produce for regular buyers.

Inside the market, stalls selling fruit preserves begin setting up, with the scents of strawberries, persimmons and plums filling the cool morning air. 

It is the start of another day at a market that, according to many vendors, almost never closes.

A walk through the market shows that fruit preserves are among its main products. 

Strawberry, persimmon, kiwi and plum preserves, along with dried persimmons, dried fruit and artichokes, fill the stalls. 

Alongside Da Lat specialties, vendors also sell preserves, candies and other goods sourced from elsewhere for tourists to take home as gifts.

Minh, owner of Ly Duong specialty shop in Da Lat, said most of her customers come from outside the city year-round.

“Our market survives thanks to tourists. When people visit Da Lat, they almost always stop by the market at least once to buy some preserves or tea as gifts. Sales are steady on weekdays, while on weekends and holidays, we can barely keep up with the orders,” Minh said.

Da Lat Market is not only a retail destination for tourists but also a major wholesale hub for the region. 

Textiles, knitwear, vegetables and fruit are distributed from the market to nearby districts and provinces.

Tran Van Hung, 48, a Da Lat resident who has worked as a vegetable wholesaler for more than 10 years, said most of his revenue comes from wholesale customers rather than individual shoppers.

“Da Lat’s vegetables come through this market before being distributed to smaller markets. I start delivering before dawn, and some days I wake up at 2 or 3 am to prepare orders," Hung said.

"Other markets may be slow, but vegetables are something people eat every day, so I always have steady work."

The combination of retail sales to tourists and wholesale distribution to restaurants and local markets has helped Da Lat Market vendors avoid relying on a single customer base. 

This contrasts with markets that depend mainly on passing visitors or local shoppers and struggle when consumer spending declines.

Why Da Lat Market stays beyond e-commerce

What sets Da Lat Market apart is its nighttime transformation. 

When the indoor market closes, the surrounding area quickly turns into a night market. 

Food stalls light up, with smoke rising from grills, while souvenir shops, knitwear stalls and dried fruit vendors line the walkways, drawing tourists to shop and stroll into the late hours.

Around the market’s outer edges, local residents also set up stalls selling fresh produce and local specialties.

Pham Thi Thu Ha, 36, a Da Lat resident who sells snacks at the night market, said her stall only gets busy after dark.

“During the day, I help my family sell fruit preserves. At night, I come here to set up my food stall. Most customers are young tourists who eat, drink and take photos until 11 pm or midnight, when things finally quiet down. When the indoor stall closes, the outdoor one gets going,” Ha said.

This shift between day and night means Da Lat Market is active almost around the clock. 

Before dawn, the market serves wholesalers and handles fresh produce. 

During the day, vendors sell fruit preserves to tourists and groceries to local residents. 

At night, the area turns into a food street and souvenir market.

Its central location, along with its status as an almost obligatory stop for first-time visitors to Da Lat, helps the market maintain a steady flow of customers year-round.

As traditional markets struggle to stay busy, Da Lat Market offers a different model: a market can be more than a place to buy and sell goods. 

It can also be a destination and part of the travel experience, something e-commerce is difficult to replace.