Hanoi's gift and flower market bustling before Women's Day

The Hanoi Times — Flower and gift shops and supermarkets in Hanoi have launched special offers and exciting events to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8.

Fresh flowers are usually among the most popular gifts for the occasion. The shops at Quang Ba Flower Market in Tay Ho District sell a wide range of locally grown orchids, lilies, roses, sunflowers, and carnations, along with imports from Ecuador, the Netherlands, South Africa, and elsewhere, such as roses, hippeastrums, and allium globe masters.

Kieu Huong, a flower shop owner on Nguyen Hoang Ton Street in Tay Ho District, told The Hanoi Times that customers could choose bouquets priced from a few hundred thousand (some US dollars) to millions of Vietnam dong.

"Sales have risen sharply in recent days and will continue to soar until March 8. We are also selling bouquets mixed with fruits such as strawberries and cherries, which cost from VND600,000 (US$25) to over VND2 million (US$85)."

"Although the price has increased, people's purchasing power is still high. At this time, we are up to our eyeballs in orders and have to hire three more employees to keep up with customers," Huong said.

Many other flower shops in the streets of Cau Giay, Nguyen Phong Sac, Nguyen Hoang Ton, Tran Xuan Soan, Luong Dinh Cua said that the price of fresh flowers for International Women's Day has increased by about 20%.

Price "competition" between fashion and cosmetics

These days, supermarkets in Hanoi have introduced a wide range of products for International Women's Day and are offering great promotions to attract shoppers.

From now until March 12, the Co.opmart supermarket system in Hanoi is running the promotional program "Radiant Health and Beauty - Hunting for Exciting Deals." "Cosmetics and household items are discounted up to 50%, with many buy 1 get 1 free offers. Especially women's products such as cosmetics, fashion, shower gel gifts and shampoo are also heavily discounted," Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, Director of Co.opmart supermarket, told The Hanoi Times.

"Offers on this year's Women's Day are rich in both design and price, allowing consumers to choose products that suit their preferences and wallets. This is also an opportunity for businesses to increase awareness and boost sales in the first quarter of 2025," Dung stressed.

The LOTTE Mart system also offers the program "Radiant Beauty and Fragrance" from now until March 11, focusing on beauty and personal care products. Products such as Double Rich shower gel gift boxes, Simple Refreshing facial cleanser, L'Oréal makeup remover are all discounted by up to 30%, including buy 1 get 1 free. In particular, on March 8, Sunplay SPF81 30g sunscreen will have a high discount of 23%.

Meanwhile, WinMart offers discounts of up to 40% on more than 800 beauty products, such as lipstick, skin cream, body lotion, shampoo, and clothing. Aside from the system-wide program, each of Winmart's retail brands has its own program.

Online retail platform Shopee launched the "Beauty Deal Hunting" program, offering steep discounts on beauty brands such as L'Oréal, Maybelline, and Innisfree. Another e-commerce platform, Lazada, launched the "Celebrate March 8 - Unexpectedly Low Prices" campaign, focusing on personal care products and beauty tools, which attracted a large number of online shoppers.

Busy shopping streets such as Ba Trieu, Dang Van Ngu, Xuan Thuy, Tran Thai Tong, and Nguyen Khanh Toan are decked with promotional banners. Tailor shops offer discounts of up to 50% on clothes and sew a traditional long dress.

This year, many consumers tend to choose practical gifts. Scented candles are trendy. Tuyet Ninh of Ctus Candle, a scented candle shop on Ho Tung Mau Street in Nam Tu Liem District, said that in the days leading up to International Women's Day, the shop saw an increase of about 30% in foot traffic.

Meanwhile, Le Hong Tuyen in Bac Tu Liem District bought a massage mattress costing about VND2 million ($79) as a gift for his mother. "At my mother's age, she needs a relaxing massage regularly. So I think this is a practical gift to show my care for her," Tuyen told The Hanoi Times.

International Women's Day continues to invigorate Vietnam's gift market, with evolving trends and consumer behaviors shaping the offerings each year as businesses are increasingly aligning their products with current consumer preferences, providing consumers with affordable gifting options.