Traditional markets vs. modern malls
To residents in Vietnam's metropolises, supermarkets and malls are no longer venues exclusive for the well-to-do. They have become shopping sprees for people with different income.
It takes supermarkets and shopping centers in HCM City more than eight years to equate to traditional markets in quantitative terms. According to a press source, by the beginning of this year, HCM City accommodated 100-plus large and small supermarkets and shopping malls. The number of markets-not taking into account those on the sidewalk-was almost the same. Press sources differ, however. Saigon Tiep thi, the Saigon Times Group's consumer weekly, reported that by early October this year, HCM City was home to 61 supermarkets and malls. The difference lies with, perhaps, the scale of these establishments. But be they big or small, supermarkets and shopping centers have taken a quantum leap, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
In October 1993, MiniMart, the first example of supermarkets emerged in HCM City, was launched. As the name may suggest, it was only a small minimart, selling several hundreds of commodities. Some supermarkets and shopping malls in HCM City nowadays are located on tens of thousands of square meters where a multitude of different commodities are available. Say, Metro Cash & Carry's newest wholesale center in An Phu - An Khanh in District 2 has a total area of 35,000 square meters.
The conveniences and comforts at supermarkets and shopping centers are much better than the first ones in town. Several years ago, there were occasionally complaints about the discomforts some shoppers felt at supermarkets. For instance, when they were crowded with people, the air-conditioning systems became overloaded making shoppers sweat. Times have changed now. Some new supermarkets and shopping centers in HCM City, for example the fresh-inaugurated Saigontourist Department Store, are on the same footing with counterparts in the region. "Saigontourist Department Store is comparable to those of our neighboring countries," says General Director Do Van Hoang of Saigontourist Holding Company.
It is not by chance that supermarkets and malls are partly replacing traditional markets. The answers to the question of why Vietnamese people go to supermarkets are what supermarket managers want to know.
"We can find a huge number of goods in the same place at the same time," says a shopper. In fact, in big supermarkets such as Cora or Maximark Cong Hoa, shoppers have a wide choice from a huge number of items. Although prices at supermarkets are somewhat more expensive than those offered at traditional markets, many prefer going to the latter as it is more convenient to shop there. "The goods sold at supermarkets have clear origin and often have guaranteed quality," a young lady says. She used to buy things at markets, but now she has shifted to shopping at supermarkets. "We don't have to bargain there," says the young lady. "At traditional markets, I have to bargain and I was scolded by sellers many times because I tried to make a low bargain. To tell the truth, sometimes I didn't know what the real prices were. But I didn't want to be overcharged either. At supermarkets I can be assured that I'm offered reasonable prices in most of the cases."
"My family choose to shop at this supermarket because while my husband and I select goods, my kids can play at the children's section or accompany us," says the mother of a four-member family who shops at Co-opmart Dinh Tien Hoang. Plenty of Vietnamese families have considered shopping at supermarkets a way to entertain themselves. "Sometimes I just go window-shopping at luxurious malls such as Diamond Plaza," says a young woman. "Many times I don't buy anything, but I go there anyway because I like the place, the decoration and the ambience."
According to many shoppers, sale promotions are also an attraction prompting them to shop at supermarkets and malls. Some local newspapers have called sale promotions at supermarkets a "boom."
At weekends and holidays, revenues of supermarkets and malls often soar. On the latest National Day September 2, their sales rose by 30-40% compared with last year.
Although supermarkets and shopping centers in Hanoi appeared later than their peers in HCM City, many Hanoians have formed the habit of shopping in supermarkets and malls. The reasons for them to make their buys there are similar to those of Saigonese shoppers. "Diverse products, acceptable prices, conveniences and attractive sale promotions are the reasons for us to choose supermarkets," says a Hanoian shopper.
The Saigon Times Weekly - December 14, 2002
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