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In each European country, the Vietnamese community is only a small group but has left a strong mark in business and commerce, especially in the retail sector.
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| Dong Xuan Market in Berlin (Germany) is famous for its abundance of goods and diverse cuisine. Photo: HOA NGUYEN |
In Eastern European countries, after the transition to a free market, the wholesale market model is very popular with Vietnamese businessmen, prominent and very bustling in the Russian Federation, the former Soviet republics or in Germany. In countries like Romania and Hungary, Vietnamese businessmen rent kiosks and do business based on markets opened by the Chinese.
In the past, wholesale markets, also known as delivery areas, only served wholesale customers. The main items sold were clothing, household items, interior and garden decorations, and food. Retail store owners in remote areas drove to pick up the goods. Everything was done quickly, so that they could get enough goods in one morning and return home in time for the day.
Previously, Ms. Pham Lan (who used to have 3 clothing stores at the Red Dragon Market in Bucharest, Romania) had to wake up at 2:30 a.m., prepare breakfast for her family and bring it to the car to get to the market before 4 a.m., because the wholesale market was usually on the outskirts of the city. Around 6-8 a.m. was the peak time at the markets a decade ago, when the buying and selling and moving around were very busy. Nowadays, retail business methods have changed a lot because e-commerce is so developed.
The traditional commercial model of wholesale markets is too outdated, leading to a deserted scene. Kiosk owners have also changed direction, serving both individual customers and many smart people, selling online, customers do not need to go to the market. Many markets have become Vietnamese culinary markets such as Dong Xuan in Berlin, Ben Thanh in Leipzig, Sapa in Prague. Not only Vietnamese people come to shop for lunch, but locals also come to enjoy pure Vietnamese dishes. People who want to cook at home also come here to buy imported ingredients from Vietnam and other Asian countries. Locals call them Asian markets.
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Depending on the local consumer culture, Vietnamese entrepreneurs choose to change their business direction. In Germany, restaurants and fast food outlets selling Vietnamese food are abundant and dense in major cities, covering the whole country. Vietnamese food is popular because of its fresh ingredients, light taste, affordable prices and the welcoming smiles of the waiters.
In the Czech Republic, grocery business is popular, not only in the capital Prague but also in many tourist and resort cities such as Cesky Crumlov, Karlovy Vary... Mr. Hieu Nguyen, the owner of a grocery store on the way to the King's Palace in the capital Prague, said that with a capital of about 1 billion VND and a store area of about 70m2 , the rent is about 60 million VND/month, he and his wife live well.
In France, people have long accepted and integrated the culture of former colonies into their daily lives. Vietnamese people have brought glass cabinets selling ready-made cooked food to "place" on many street corners in France, not just in the capital Paris. You can go to a Vietnamese shop to buy beef stew, beef balls, braised pork, spring rolls, hot pot ingredients... to heat up at home and cook yourself. If you want to eat quickly, the shop also has standing tables that can serve about 5 customers at a time.
No matter how the times change, whether it is online shopping or e-commerce, the traditional market business model is still favored by overseas Vietnamese, who seek it out as a cultural feature, reminding them of their roots and homeland. Thousands of Vietnamese still stick to the market to do business and spread Vietnamese flavors throughout Europe.
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