Hanoi (VNA) – As Christmas is less than two weeks away, the gift and decoration market in Hanoi is becoming bustling with a variety of eye-catching products at affordable prices.
Many restaurants, cafes, offices, and public spaces in the city have been lavishly decorated, becoming popular spots for customers to take photos, shop, or dine.
Visiting streets well-known for deco items like Hang Ma and Luong Van Can, people can find a wide range of Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, tinsel, reindeer models, string lights, wreaths, baubles, snowflakes, candy canes, and Santa Claus outfits.
Last year, most of fresh Christmas trees were imported from Denmark. This year, many vendors said, fresh trees also hail from China and have very reasonable prices. In Hanoi, such trees are widely available at gardens and flower markets, with prices ranging from a few hundred thousand of VND to 1 - 2 million VND (40 - 80 USD) per tree, depending on size and foliage thickness.
Vu Thu Hang, a flower and plant trader at the Buoi market, said that fresh trees from China are cheaper. Meawhile, those imported from Denmark are quite expensive, primarily targeting companies or affluent customers, with prices ranging from several million to tens of millions of VND per tree due to their dense foliage and distinct fragrance.
Plastic Christmas trees are priced from 100,000 VND to several million VND, and some reach tens of millions of VND.
Nguyen Hoai Thu, a shopper from Bo De street in Long Bien district, said that her family buys decorations for their Christmas tree every year to create a warm and festive atmosphere at home.
Thu said that this year’s market for Christmas gifts and decorations does not fluctuate much compared to last year, with prices only 5 - 10% higher. Besides, products are more diverse with more attractive designs.
This year, deep red velvet bows are trendy items.
Bui Kim Son, a shop owner on Hang Ma street, noted his shop’s best-selling items are handmade velvet bows for decorating trees and doors. Their prices range from 100,000 VND to 1 million VND, depending on size.
Previously, baubles were simply colorful plastic ornaments, but this year, there are also velvet-covered and glitter-coated ones in various sizes, priced between 50,000 and 200,000 VND.
Other Christmas items include bells, drums, and tinsel sold at 10,000 - 50,000 VND each, Santa Claus costumes for children cost 100,000 - 500,000 VND depending on size and material, Santa hats are priced at 50,000 VND, while Christmas hair accessories range from 30,000 to 50,000 VND each. Wreaths, pine cones, stars, and wooden wall hangings are also other choices for shoppers to consider.
Nguyen Ngoc Han, owner of a Christmas decorations shop on Hang Ma street, revealed that the number of shoppers to her store these days has increased by 20% compared to the same period last year. She expects sales to continue rising as Christmas approaches, especially in the retail segment.
In addition to traditional markets, Christmas decorations and gifts are also being offered on online platforms like Lazada and Shopee, along with social media networks such as Facebook and Zalo./.
