Many stores in Vinh city have signs of clearance sale, with huge discounts, but business is still sluggish.

Fashion stores simultaneously display signs of discounts and promotions to attract customers. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Even though we have returned to the "new normal" for a month now,Nguyen Van Cu fashion streetstill deserted and deserted. Fashion shops display signs like “Shocking promotion, huge discount”, “Buy 1 get 1 free”, “Store clearance”… but business is still sluggish.

Ms. Nguyen My Dung, owner of a women's fashion store, said: "Closed for a long time, unsold summer goods are discounted, now we have imported fall and winter goods and they are selling at very close prices, we also accept promotions, buy winter goods and get summer goods or other gifts, but customers buy very little, only 20-30% compared to previous years."

Nguyen Van Cu fashion street is deserted and desolate. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Even, there are many branded fashion brands.deep discountsup to 70-80% to attract customers but revenue still does not improve. Ms. Nguyen Thuy Quynh, an employee of a fashion brand at 273 Nguyen Van Cu said: "Many new products are discounted to the floor price, equal to the cost price but still difficult to sell. There are many product models with listed prices up to millions of dong but now after the discount, the price is only a few hundred thousand but still few people buy."

Inside, the stores were also empty despite the deep discounts on products. Photo: Thanh Phuc

In addition, fashion brands and shop owners have continuously updated new models with discount and promotion programs on Fan Page, Facebook, Zalo to reach customers. Mr. Vo Quang, owner of a men's fashion store on Kim Dong Street, said: "We spend money on advertising on social networks hoping to attract customers to consult, choose models or come to the store to see directly, but after 2 weeks of testing, the amount of goods sold is very modest."

Children's clothing sales are also sluggish as students are still studying online and have not returned to school. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Normally, fashion stores only discount some out-of-date or “out of season” items, but now, regardless of new or old items, there are sales programs with deep discounts from 30-80%. Among them, there are many deeply discounted items that store owners accept to sell at a loss to recover capital but still have difficulty selling.

Not just adult clotheschildren's fashionalso deserted, sluggish. From wholesale markets like Vinh market, Vinh Railway Station market, large markets with popular goods to high-end shops on Hong Bang, Dinh Cong Trang, Nguyen Van Cu streets... all are sluggish despite competing to reduce prices, "crashing the floor".

Ms. Hoang Quynh Anh, a customer, said: “Actually, due to the pandemic, there is no need to travel here and there, and work is mainly done online; children study online, do not go to school, do not go out, so there is no need to buy clothes. In addition, due to the pandemic, income has decreased, non-essential expenses have been tightened, and only during this season do we add some warm clothes for our children that are too tight and too old.”

Business is sluggish, many fashion stores have put up signs of liquidation and closure. Photo: Thanh Phuc

During the complicated epidemic period, understanding the psychology of people limiting travel, most stores focus on online sales. On social networks, shop owners continuously post and livestream about programs and discounted products, but orders are quite few. Meanwhile, the characteristic of the fashion industry is to follow trends, seasons, and times. Slow sales not only cause capital stagnation but also cause out-of-date, inventory, and heavy losses.

Faced with that reality, many fashion stores that previously specialized in importing evening wear, wedding wear, and picnic wear have now switched to home and office wear that closely match people's shopping needs. At the same time, they have chosen to move their stores to locations with lower rental prices, cut store staff, and promote online sales to reduce costs to survive.