Many local fashion brands have taken back market share in the low and medium-cost segments that have formerly been dominated by Chinese-made products.

So-called fashion streets such as Le Van Si, Hai Ba Trung and Nguyen Dinh Chieu as well as shopping centres in HCM City have been crowded with many visitors.

Evenings have been especially busy at Ha Gatini, Ninomax, N&M, Viet Thy, Viet Tien and An Phuoc stores.

At Nhat Ha Company's Ha Gatini shops, the manufacturer has launched a series of new products aimed at middle-income consumers in Tet (Lunar New Year) and in the early days of New Year.

Many customers have been willing to spend around 300,000 VND (14.4 USD) each on dresses of this brand.

Similarly, customers aged 16-23 have flocked to Ninomax shops, which belongs to the Viet Fashion Joint-Stock Company, for eye-catching colours and various designs.

With a price of only 300,000-500,000 VND (14.4-24 USD) for a shirt for men, An Phuoc and Viet Tien shops are priority options for male customers.

Chinese-made products at fashion and accessory shops on Le Van Si and Nguyen Dinh Chieu streets have seen a decline in sales, especially for clothes of women, although prices are only 200,000-500,000 VND (9.6-24 USD).

Phan Van Kiet, deputy general director of Viet Tien Garment Co, said sales have increased by 25-30 percent compared to the same period last year.

Currently, Viet Tien has increased supply by 25-30 percent of volume to meet demands for Tet. Favourite items are selling between 250,000 VND(12 USD) and 600,000 VND (28.8 USD).

Viet Tien has increased its stock of Viet Long items targeted at low-income earners by 60 percent. The average price is between VND180,000 (8.6 USD) and 250,000 VND (12 USD).

The company also targets the high-cost segment with jackets priced between VND2.5 and 5 million VND (120-240 USD).

"The sale volume of local companies has jumped sharply because the period for sales of unknown-origin products with cheap prices but low quality, including Chinese items is over," Kiet said.

Sales for the Vietnam Textile Fashion Trading Limited Company (Vinatex Mart) stores have surged since the Christmas season.

Pham Thi Quynh Ny, marketing director of Vinatex Mart, said the company has spent about 500 billion VND (24.03 million USD) on goods for the Tet shopping season. This year's volume of goods increased by 57 percent compared to last year.

Currently, turnover in all of their shops is 9 billion VND (432,692 USD) a day, an increase of 192 percent compared to normal days.

Dang Quynh Doan, director of Viet Thy Fashion Co, said sales for local products have risen partly because consumers have turned their backs on Chinese products.

Viet Thy's products priced between 150,000 VND and 260,000 VND had faced stiff competition from Chinese items during previous Tet shopping seasons, but they are now selling well.

"Chinese products sell only 10,000-15,000 VND cheaper than local items because production costs in China are no longer cheap," she said.

Footwear has entered the peak sales season, at a price of about 300,000 VND each for Chinese-made products.

Compared to locally made items at similar prices, most consumers decide to choose Vietnamese-produced items because they are concerned about unsafe and unknown-origin materials used for imported products.

Fashion footwear is mainly produced in districts 4,6,8,12 and Hoc Mon./.