The HCMC People's Committee has assigned the Urban Railway Management Board to plan the implementation of the Ben Thanh underground shopping mall project.

The continued closure of Parkson stores shows that the time of the department store may be over. Shopping malls are the growing tendency in large cities.

Parkson, which was once the leading distributor of branded goods in Vietnam, has had shut down four department stores in recent years, including all of their stores in Hanoi.

VietNamNet Bridge - A number of shopping malls have shut down though it is now the peak sales season. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Parkson, the Malaysian department store chain, was once compared to a haughty lady who was choosy in cooperating with partners. However, the lady has gone downhill.

VietNamNet Bridge – Small shops in alleys and at street corners are proving to be more profitable than flashy luxury shopping malls.

VietNamNet Bridge – Although there are many well-off Vietnamese who are willing to spend money on expensive items, luxury malls may still not succeed in the market.

VietNamNet Bridge – A property developer has decided to lease retail premises for free to help establish the “world of Vietnamese goods”.

VietNamNet Bridge – Big fortunes can be made through small investments, and this is  especially true in the distribution sector.

How much does the Central Group have to pay to acquire Nguyen Kim? Why has the Thai investor accepted to buy only 49 percent of Nguyen Kim’s shares? Both questions remain unanswered.

As high-end shopping malls continue to face difficulties attracting customers, some retailers are combining two business models, modern merchandising and traditional markets.

VietNamNet Bridge – Despite great efforts to attract customers, shopping malls in large cities continue to have problems attracting many customers.

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

 VietNamNet Bridge – Big sale programs are being run at all the stalls of Trang Tien Plaza prior to its renovation, just 16 months after it resumed operation in April 2013.

VietNamNet Bridge – A lot of merchants in Hanoi have shut down their kiosks and transferred the stalls at shopping malls to others because the business is not good enough to pay for retail premises rents.

Splendid high end supermarkets with fandangle windows, which were once the shopping destinations only for the rich, have shifted to serve popular customers as well.

No one could imagine before that commercial streets in HCM City close the doors prior to 8 pm, because the sellers do not hope to have more buyers after that time.

The development of modern distribution channels in HCM City has slowed down in the economic downturn. However, the growth seems to be robust in new areas.