With Christmas fast approaching, Da Nang retail market began to heat up this week, in contrary to bleak expectations previously set by domestic economic experts due to globally raging Covid-19 crisis.

A wide range of Christmas trees with different sizes and prices are on sale at a Christmas store on Hung Vuong Street

Since last weekend, the bustling trading ambience has been recorded at many shops selling Christmas products along such downtown streets as Hung Vuong, Trung Nu Vuong, Dien Bien Phu, Phan Chau Trinh, Nguyen Van Linh, and Le Duan.

Thu Huong, the owner of the Minh Quang shop located on 43 Hung Vuong Street, said, like previous years, the shopping atmosphere for Christmas season has started to heat up since early December. Her shop has, however, seen a significant decline in the number of customers who are owners of restaurants, hotels and businesses across Da Nang. A bit encouragingly still, Christmas spending by families are still on par with the previous years.

In particular, Christmas trees are most hunted for this year, with stores introducing a wide variety of eye-catching designs at various prices ranging from 80,000 VND to 2 million VND to attract consumers from all walks of life, depending on their sizes and intricacy levels.

“Unlike last year, many families in Da Nang this year tend to buy  undecorated artificial Christmas trees and then give them ‘attractive new coats’ by themselves with their own favourite decorative items as a way to bring down their decor costs by between 300,000 VND and 500,000 VND each tree to fit their budgets” Mrs Huong remarked.

Apart from Christmas trees, a wide range of other indoor and outdoor decorations, including lights, bells, candles, candy canes, garlands, stockings, wreaths, snow globes, angels, and other lovely ornaments, are also available at shops selling Christmas products around Da Nang.

Of special note, the Santa Claus outfits are amongst the most favourite to children. Such outfits are being sold at between 40,000 VND and 180,000 VND each, depending on their sizes and types of fabric.

In addition to the numerous shopping options, Christmas gift delivery service has started to flourish across the city.

According to owners of other Christmas stores in local downtown areas, this year’s Christmas season has seen a slight decrease in the number of customers using Christmas gift delivery service. The main reason is clearly thought to be that many people in Da Nang are struggling financially due to the coronavirus pandemic.

By KHANH HOA - Translated by M.D