While shops in Ho Chi Minh City are offering special services and products for Valentine’s Day (February 14), online shopping sites are busy with a large number of orders, making a rise of 30-40 percent in revenue compared to regular days.

Shopdodoi.com has fulfilled all customer orders but still continues to serve its clients who shop at its retail outlets.

Customers who buy valentine gifts at shop88.com are paying 5-10 percent less than they would in a regular shop for the same products.

The most in-demand presents offered by online shops are gift vouchers for clothes, accessories, cosmetics and food.

According to customers, they are offered extra services like free delivery when shopping online.

E-commerce sites are particularly popular with the young and white-collar workers, thanks to their unique products.

To meet customers’ demands on the occasion, the Co.opmart supermarket chain is discounting products such as chocolate and cosmetics.

Rose prices in the city’s markets have risen slightly. Other kinds of flowers, such as orchids, carnations and lilies have remained stable.

In the central province of Quang Binh, chocolate is young couples’ most favourite gift.

The cost of a box of Belgian chocolates is between 30,000 and 300,000 VND, up 10 percent from last year.

The price of roses has increased from 4,000-5,000 VND to 10,000-15,000 VND/flower on average.

Apart from roses, shops sell various kinds of flowers from Hanoi and Da Lat, such as pansies, tulips and hydrangea, attracting a large number of buyers.

In the central city of Da Nang, besides traditional gifts like chocolates, flowers and cuddly toys, new products, like pairs of cups with the couple’s names printed on or twin T-shirts, are highly sought after by young lovers.-VNA