VietNamNet Bridge – Economic recovery in the first six months of 2014 has left positive impacts on production and business activities. Improvement of the macro economy has an effect on business by increasing the purchasing power, especially the Mid-autumn moon-cake market that has turned active recently.

Bustling moon-cake market

Only a fortnight remains between now and the Mid-autumn Festival, a time for enterprises and consumers to choose moon-cakes as gifts for partners, friends, or relatives, and a time for family reunion.

The Mid-autumn moon-cake market enters its peak, as consumers rush to buy cakes for themselves and as gifts for relatives and friends

The Mid-autumn festive atmosphere has spread to all corners in HCMC such as Saigon supermarket on Ba Thang Hai Street, Tan Binh Exhibition & Convention Center and Lotte Mart in District 7 thanks to many moon-cakes vending kiosks of large brands. Consumers have flocked to Kinh Do moon-cake selling booths on streets such as Nguyen Tri Phuong, Thanh Thai, Ly Thuong Kiet, Quang Trung, Nguyen Oanh and Le Thi Rieng Park, especially after working hours and at weekends.

Ho Thi Tuyet, who owns a Kinh Do moon-cake vending kiosk on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, says that there are still a lot of enterprises choosing moon-cakes to gift to employees and customers. Every late afternoon these days, many customers come to buy moon-cakes at her booth for their families to eat or to give to their relatives.

Ms Le Anh Hong, who has bought several moon-cake boxes on Ba Thang Hai Street, says that she will give the gifts to relatives in her hometown this weekend and during the National Day holiday, September 2.  Ms Hong says she must buy moon-cakes soon to have time for visiting her parents and grandparents. “Elderly people need affection from offspring, so it is impossible to send gifts without visiting them,” she explains.

According to large producers, many enterprises have ordered moon-cake boxes early to give to partners and employees, especially those at industrial parks, export processing zones, joint ventures and foreign firms. This year, quite many workers at industrial parks and export processing zones may receive Mid-autumn gifts from employers as enterprises increasingly attach importance to this festival.

Raising moon-cake output

Businesses have forecast the peak of the Mid-autumn shopping season to last from this weekend to the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Especially, many people will have chances to visit relatives or friends during the upcoming four-day National Day holiday. They will select moon-cakes as gifts for this occasion, thus raising demand for this product.

Mrs Le Thi Muoi, a moon-cake vendor on Nguyen Trai Street, says that the number of customers during weekend surges by two to three times against normal days. “We have received more orders for favorite products such as Trang Vang, green moon-cakes and the new squared moon cake boxes to meet high demands at weekend and on September 2,” she adds.

Due to increasing purchasing power and bustling market as well as high demands of enterprises, most prestigious moon-cake producers have sharply raised output against the same period of last year. A representative of Kinh Do Corporation says that as of August 17, its sales volume had improved 9% year-on-year. This year, both families and enterprises have had strong demands, signaling increasing moon-cake consumption in the coming days.    

SGT/VNN