The peak shopping season at the end of the year has begun as consumers spend more heavily in preparation for the upcoming holidays and festivals.
The year-end shopping season – with Black Friday (November 29th) as the highlight – is fast approaching. Retailers, from supermarkets and stores to e-commerce platforms, have all prepared thoroughly to meet the increased consumer demand. The market is bustling from traditional markets to online marketplaces. According to observations in Ho Chi Minh City a week before Black Friday, supermarket chains such as Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food, WinMart/WinMart+, MM Mega Market, etc., are simultaneously launching numerous large discount programs. Saigon Co.op , with a network of over 800 outlets, is applying discounts of 50% or more to all product categories, including vegetables, dry food, cosmetics, and household goods. Specifically, the "10 Golden Days - Shop Till You Drop" program, running from November 2nd to 30th, combines offers such as discounts on essential household items, alongside the "Shopping at a Flat Price of 10,000 VND" and "Shocking Prices - Deep Discounts".
Consumers are still eagerly awaiting the year-end sales season. Photo: THANH NHAN
WinMart/WinMart+ stores are offering discounts of up to 50% on thousands of food, cosmetics, and household items, along with "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" or "Only 10,000 VND" deals on some products. Similarly, MM Mega Market is offering a "Buy More - Get Cheaper" policy, with deep discounts for corporate customers who place early Tet (Lunar New Year) orders. Equally vibrant, shopping malls like Vincom, Giga Mall, Van Hanh Mall, Diamond Plaza… are also launching major discount programs from fashion, cosmetics, footwear, and accessories brands. Many stores have sent notification messages to member customers, promising deep discounts and attractive gifts. On social media, well-known brands are also heavily promoting their products. For example, the fashion brand J. is offering discounts of up to 70% on over 1,000 products, with prices ranging from 110,000 to 333,000 VND. Meanwhile, major home appliance brands are offering special deals, including extra discount codes for high-value orders. On e-commerce platforms, Shopee leads with numerous deep discounts, such as free shipping, vouchers up to 1 million VND, and 50% off products on Shopee Video. The "Shopee Joins Hands for Vietnamese Goods" program, in collaboration with the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy , will run from November 29th to December 1st, showcasing high-quality Vietnamese products with great deals. On TikTok Shop, live streaming sales also attract a large audience thanks to massive discounts of up to 70%. For example, the TM account (1.1 million followers) live-streamed a perfume sale with discounts of 10%-20%, attracting over 3,000 simultaneous viewers. Lazada will be running its Black Friday program from November 25th to December 2nd with many outstanding offers: discounts up to 50%, completely free shipping, and vouchers worth up to VND 400,000. Tiki, however, has yet to generate the same strong appeal as other platforms. Observations indicate that the bustling shopping atmosphere isn't just coming from retailers but is also spreading throughout the consumer community. Office workers and young customers have begun sharing tips on hunting for sales and finding high-quality products at discounted prices. Keywords like "Black Friday sale hunting tips" and "effective sale hunting" are being searched frequently on Google. Ms. Ho Hong Dao, Acting Marketing Director of Saigon Co.op, believes that Black Friday is not only an opportunity to increase sales but also a chance to measure market purchasing power. The results from these promotional programs will help businesses adjust their strategies in a timely manner for the Tet holiday shopping season. "This is also an opportunity for Saigon Co.op to affirm its position and bring customers great shopping experiences at the end of the year," she emphasized. Beware of buying cheap but ending up paying more! While many are excited about end-of-year promotions and discounts, many others are skeptical due to frequently encountering "fake promotions," making them feel cheated despite careful planning. Ms. Tran Thi Hong (Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City) shared her unpleasant experience during the 11-11 promotion. After following a KOL (social media influencer) promoting a product with the "lowest price on the market" at just over 800,000 VND, she decided to buy immediately but missed the good price. Regretting her wait, she ended up buying it for over 900,000 VND, thinking it was still cheaper than at the store. However, the very next day, she saw the same product on another livestream from a familiar retail chain for less than 800,000 VND, with fast delivery service. Even more disappointing was the delay in her order from the KOL's channel; Ms. Hong couldn't cancel it because the goods were already in transit. Although she refused to accept the return, she was still worried about the refund process. Mr. Vu Vo Ha (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) also experienced a similar situation. During the 11-11 sale, he bought many products from his favorite fashion brand with discounts of 15% - 39%. However, just a few days later, the brand launched its "biggest sale of the year" on Black Friday, with discounts up to 50%. Mr. Ha expressed his regret for buying hastily: "I thought I was getting a good price, but it turned out to be expensive. Next time I'll learn from this experience and buy only what I need, so I don't have to worry about missing out on the promotions." A business representative stated that profit margins in production are not high, but consumers often expect significant discounts. Therefore, businesses are forced to set higher list prices to create the illusion of a "bargain" for customers when applying promotions. "Products with heavy discounts are usually clearance items or those with minor defects. For other items, if there is a discount compared to the regular price, the business has already sacrificed a portion of its profit," this representative explained. This business also emphasized that instead of focusing solely on the percentage discount, consumers should pay attention to the actual amount saved when purchasing goods, to ensure the value of the purchase matches their needs. From the perspective of an e-commerce expert, Mr. Nguyen Manh Tan, Marketing Director of Haravan, commented that most current promotional programs are genuine but do not meet consumer expectations. He also pointed out that consumers are gradually becoming desensitized to promotional messages. Because there are so many discount events throughout the year, from double-day sales and mid-month sales to holidays, instead of focusing mainly on the end of the year as before, Mr. Tan recommends that consumers choose to buy from reputable sellers or businesses with established brands and good reviews to avoid falling into the trap of "fake promotions." Consumers should compare prices of similar products from different sources before deciding to buy. "Fake promotions" not only worry consumers but are also a problem faced by "livestreaming powerhouses." Pham Thoai, one of the famous livestreamers, revealed that his team always checks product prices on all platforms before broadcasting to ensure the real price. Before each livestream session, the prices of products are also announced in advance so that consumers can assess the level of discount themselves.
Closely Monitoring Promotional Activities : Regarding solutions for managing promotions, a representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade stated that according to Decree 128/2024 (amending Decree 81/2018), from December 1st, businesses and stores no longer need to notify state management agencies in advance when conducting promotions. This regulation is expected to create a breakthrough in administrative procedure reform, helping businesses flexibly implement trade promotion programs, including promotions. However, the new regulation also poses a challenge in monitoring, as management agencies will no longer have complete control over all promotional activities in the area. According to the representative from the Department of Industry and Trade, instead of spending a lot of time processing administrative procedures, the agency will focus on strengthening post-inspection to ensure businesses comply with legal regulations and protect consumer rights. Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhon-nhip-khuyen-mai-cuoi-nam-196241122204141049.htm
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