Year-end Sales Season

In Vietnam, the year-end shopping market is stirred up by plenty of sales at supermarkets, general stores, shops and trade centres. 50 percent or higher discounts are common. Many shops even boast of markdowns from 70 to 80 percent.

 

Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City are organising many different forms of promotion. The most remarkable form is multiple promotions, meaning that a supermarket may have 4 - 8 programmes rather than just one.

 

Maximark Supermarket is offering five promotion programmes at the same time. Accordingly, with a purchase of at least VND500,000, buyers may join a lucky draw for a direct discount from 5 percent to 30 percent of purchase value. Rebates are also applied to foodstuffs, cosmetics and household goods. Lucky buyers are also presented movie and music tickets or free food coupons. Vinatextmart Supermarket is currently carrying out three promotions programmes: Direct discount of up to 50 percent for apparel, cosmetics, foodstuffs and utensils; free wall calendars, and “Golden Day” sales on December 26, 2011 when some commodities are sold at just VND20,000 each. Co.opmart Supermarket has launched a Christmas sale programme which lowers prices by 49 percent for more than 1,000 ornaments, fashion products, toys and foodstuffs. The biggest sale is claimed by BigC Hypermarket, with eight simultaneous programmes for more than 5,000 items, with discounts for cleaners, kitchen utensils, Christmas goods, processed foods, warm clothes and other consumer goods climbing to 49 percent.

 

The biggest discounts are applied to fashion products, with rebates ranging between 50 percent and 80 percent. Vietnam Fashion Company is catching the attention of shoppers with discounts mounting to 50 percent. On Nguyen Trai Street, widely known as the centre of fashion in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, some fashion shops offer T-shirts at VND29,000 (under US$1.50), long-sleeved shirts at VND59,000 and a jeans at VND89,000.

 

For the time being, sales programmes for consumer goods like cooking oil, sugar, MSG, detergent and shower gels are applied by manufacturers to all distributors, not only exclusive chains. For example, a customer can receive plastic basin and floor cleanser bottle for buying detergent or a 10 percent rebate on seasoning in any of Lottemart, Co.opMart, BigC, Maximark, Citimark and others.

 

Rebates and promotions are the most common and powerful competing weapon for supermarkets to attract buyers and maintain sales. Ms Nguyen Phuong Thao, Director of Maximark Supermarket, said: “Promotions are now always available at supermarkets.” She added that suppliers decided to offer sales promotions in this supermarket, and will automatically make the same rebate for other ones without any request from distributors. Mr Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Deputy General Director of Co.opmart supermarket chain, said: “We maintain sales growth of over 30 percent because of aggressive promotion programmes.” Mr Luu Quoc Hung, Marketing Director of Dienmay.com, said: Year-end sales programmes will end in success because goods are very cheap. “We understand the current demand of customers; thus, we focus on low-priced goods,” said Mr Hung.

 

As supermarkets offer similar programmes like discounts, lucky draws and gifts, buyers will certainly wait for a more special move from them.