On the morning of February 1st (the 22nd day of the last lunar month), at the flower and Tet ornamental tree shops in Nghe An province, the buying and selling scene is not very vibrant, with only a few customers coming to see the Tet flowers.
Receiving about 200 branches of peach and kumquat trees for Tet, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, a Tet flower and ornamental tree seller at Vinh City Central Park, sighed: “Tet is approaching but the number of customers coming to see and buy Tet flowers is still very small. In reality, there are some people who come to visit but then leave. Two days ago, it was rainy with cold wind, and no customers came to see the trees.”
Tet is the most bustling business season of the year, but many small traders are “sitting on hot coals” as there are still many flowers and ornamental trees left without customers.
No customers, the small traders sit and use their phones to pass the time.
Not far from there, Mr. Hoang Van Minh’s group is gathering firewood to keep warm, waiting for customers to come and see the trees. This year, Mr. Minh imported about 300 branches of kumquat and grapefruit trees, but the purchasing power has decreased significantly. “The market is deserted, there are more sellers than buyers. Everyone is worried. We accidentally invested hundreds of millions of capital in this Tet season, even in the cold weather, we have to hold on and have no other choice,” Mr. Minh lamented.
These days, the number of customers buying Tet flowers and ornamental trees is sparse.
To ensure their health, the small trader groups take turns, with some sleeping and others staying awake, hoping that the goods will be sold quickly so they can return home and prepare for Tet.
“I invested all my capital in buying peach and apricot trees for Tet, hoping for a warmer Tet. However, even though Tet is only a week away, the number of trees sold is very slow. I hope the situation will be more optimistic in the next few days,” Mr. Pham Van Hoang, a Tet peach tree seller at Nghệ An Workers Cultural House, shared.
A man sits idly, waiting for customers.
According to the sharing of some small traders, in the past few days, Nghe An has experienced a cold spell accompanied by drizzle, which is the main reason why people are reluctant to go out. Besides, the economy is difficult this year, buying flowers and ornamental trees, especially expensive ones, has made consumers hesitate and consider carefully.
The small traders hope that in the next few days, the business situation will be more optimistic.
