With the motto “buy used items and sell to those in need", second-hand stores are the bridge to receive used or no longer valuable items to renovate, repair and bring second-hand goods still having their value to new owners.

Mr Tran Dai Nghia is advising customers on second-hand goods. Photo: THANH THANH

As usual, the 3-storey campus being full of clothes with an area of more than 1,200m2 of The Gioi Do Cu Da Nang (the Da Nang World of Secondhand Store) at 349 Ho Han Thuong, Son Tra District ran by Mr Tran Dai Nghia sees a large number of visitors go shopping. His shop specializes in purchasing used goods from companies, restaurants, eateries, hotels, and household furniture to be sold to those in need of using, opening coffee shops, milk tea shops and offices.

Bounding charm with old things

11 years ago, Mr Tran Dai Nghia got access to secondhand stores via his visits to the used items market during days working in South Korea. In 2010, he returned to Da Nang and took the capital he had saved to buy land and opened a small second-hand shop in Lien Chieu District. Having experienced many ups and downs in business, Mr Nghia is currently the owner of two second-hand furniture businesses, two new furniture businesses and a workshop specializing in manufacturing, processing and repairing furniture and household appliances.

“Due to seeing increasing demand in this market, I boldly invested in warehouses and hired workers. Having inherent mechanical skills, I also opened a mechanical workshop for processing old furniture, ensuring that recipients will obtain second-hand goods having use-value of about 80% compared to the original."

In a similar vein, Mr Vu Trung Ha, an alumnus of the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Construction, University of Science and Technology, University of Danang, decided to start his business with Hunter's secondhand furniture shop located at 5 Lac Long Quan, Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, Lien Chieu District with the intention of purchasing liquidation items from cafes and restaurants.

“In 2014, Da Nang witnessed the trade of second-hand goods with the appearance of a few stores. However, these stores pursued running a business in the traditional operation with a host of products piled up in a mess, leading to difficulties for customers when buying them. Therefore, Hunter was released with my desire to create a more professional second-hand shopping space," shared Mr Ha

A secondhand store employee is handling old tables before selling. Photo: Mai Hien

Professionalism, quality, prestige in the second-hand furniture business

These years, second-hand shopping has become a new habit not only for the poor but also for those who are economically rich but prefer branded and quality items, even though they've been used. However, secondhand business owners also encounter a bunch of challenges.

“This job needs those who are patient and hardworking due to its hard nature. For example, when purchasing used furniture of a shop or a company that has stopped working, I must have a team specializing in dismantling, transporting, sorting, arranging, cleaning products regularly to avoid mould, in tandem with repairing and transporting goods to customers. Moreover, during the process of dismantling, if carelessly damaging valuable items, the shipment will be considered depreciated. Till date, my businesses have created jobs for approximate 35 workers with an average salary of about VND 7.5 million. In addition, we have a warranty policy for products when sold to create a trust for customers,” Nghia said.

Having a smooth combination of each process is a key point to operate a secondhand goods store. Apart from that, diversified goods also require extensive knowledge to be able to advise, determine reasonable prices as well as handle when the product has unexpected problems.

On the whole, second-hand shops in Da Nang are becoming consumers' favourite shopping destinations after overcoming stereotypes about used goods. Therefore, secondhand sellers need to be honest and transparent about product information as well as give thorough advice and work professionally to retain customers.

Reporting by THANH TINH - MAI HIEN- Translating by T.VY