The traditional carpentry villages in Quynh Luu are facing unprecedented slumps in sales.

The woodworking village of Quynh Hung commune, Quynh Luu district, is quite well-known. Most of the village's products are sold within Nghe An province and neighboring provinces.

However, these days, the Quỳnh Hưng carpentry village lacks the hustle and bustle of previous years; instead, there is an unprecedentedly desolate and gloomy atmosphere.

In recent years, many wooden products made in the craft village, despite being beautiful and exquisite, have been selling poorly, causing hardship for the woodworkers. Most households are only producing on a limited scale, with each workshop having only a few workers; craftsmen are left without work and have had to switch to other professions.

Mr. Tran Van Tuan, the owner of a carpentry workshop in Quynh Hung commune, sadly remarked: “In previous years, at this time, we would have been crowded with customers. On average, we sold 3-4 sets of tables, chairs, cabinets, beds, etc., every day. However, this time, we waited from the beginning to the end of the week but no one came to inquire. A lot of finished goods are piling up, and there are no new orders, so production is just going on at a standstill. From having 6 carpenters, we now only have 2, and even then, the work is inconsistent.”

Next door is Thach Lai Woodworking Workshop, one of the largest in Quynh Hung commune. The shop displays a wide range of high-end to budget-friendly wooden furniture, such as rosewood tables and chairs priced from 200-350 million VND/set, and sandalwood furniture from 40-60 million VND/set… However, sales have been very difficult in recent months.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lai, owner of Thach Lai establishment, shared: "This year, due to the general economic difficulties, people have to 'tighten their belts,' leading to weak purchasing power. Goods are piling up, so our family frequently incurs losses; currently, we are looking for new markets in other provinces and cities."

According to many woodworking shop owners in Quynh Hung commune, in previous years, around September and October, the number of customers placing orders and buying goods was quite high. This was because it was the wedding season, and people were buying some wooden furniture for their families to prepare for the New Year. However, from the beginning of 2023 until now, the villagers' handcrafted wooden products have been facing difficulties in sales, with products accumulating and going unsold.

In 2011, the Provincial People's Committee recognized Thuan Giang and Nam Thang carpentry villages as two provincial-level civil and fine art carpentry villages in Quynh Hung commune. Both villages have invested in modern machinery and technology. The characteristic products of these carpentry villages include: high-end European and Asian style tables and chairs, beds, cabinets, wardrobes, ancestral altars, and altars for the God of Wealth and the God of Earth…

Mr. Tran Dinh Trong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Hung commune, said: "In the years before 2021, the carpentry trade brought in a large source of revenue for the commune, reaching over 150 billion VND per year and creating jobs for many local workers. However, for nearly a year now, the market for fine art wood products has been 'stuck,' and most establishments are experiencing a large surplus of unsold goods."

Due to difficulties, most businesses have had to cut back on labor. Currently, nearly 100 carpenters have switched professions and gone abroad for work.

From a time when the entire Quynh Hung commune had over 300 households and 800 workers engaged in carpentry, the number has now decreased to just over 200 households and 500 workers in this profession. Many workers have switched to other occupations.

Many business owners said that the difficult global and domestic economic conditions, coupled with a lack of orders, have forced them to reduce production, lower product prices, lay off workers, and proactively seek markets elsewhere.