VietNamNet Bridge – The decision by Parkson to close Parkson Landmark, one of its nine shopping malls in Vietnam, has alarmed and angered the public.

The Malaysian group on January 2, 2015 suddenly told Vietnamese retailers to pack their goods and leave the shopping mall within 24 hours.

The notice at the entrance door to Parkson Landmark said that the shopping mall would close temporarily until January 7, 2015.

However, Parkson remains closed, and it is unclear when it will reopen.

Tien Phong newspaper reported that representatives from 200 shops in Parkson Landmark said they had not received any official information from Parkson Hanoi, the owner of the shopping mall, and from Keangnam, the owner of the building where the shopping mall is located.

Tien Phong’s reporters, who were present at Parkson Landmark on January 8, said they saw empty shops with goods lying about in disorder on the floor.

A representative of Citimart said after Parkson told it to take goods away, Citimart requested its officers to work through the night, but only a small part of the goods on display could be taken away.

“Only 40 percent of our goods have been carried away, mostly vegetables, food and beverages,” he said. “The remaining 60 percent, mostly clothes, cosmetics and wooden products are still at the shopping mall. We need some more time to find storehouses to put the goods.”

Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, general director of the Citimart chain, said she tried to contact high ranking officers of both Parkson and Keangnam.

“Keangnam’s CEO told me that he is not in the right position to explain the problem, while Parkson’s managers did not answer my calls,” she said on Dai Lo.

“This is really an immoral act which disregards laws, affection and gratitude,” she said.

The other merchants also complained that Parkson has shown “incorrect behavior”.

“The Lunar New Year is nearing. It is awful that we have to stop our business in the high sale season,” a woman at a cosmetics shop said.

Nguyen The Khoa, a branding expert, noted that Parkson’s move will “seriously harm the Parkson brand”.

“Parkson should have informed us about the closure to its partners many days before the deadline. However, it did not do this,” Khoa said. “This shows that the Malaysian investor did not have the necessary respect towards its clients.”

“I think no one would dare become Parkson’s partner in the future, because they have learned a lesson today,” Khoa added.

Kim Chi