The Sweet Taste of Success: Crafting a Compelling Copy for the Ultimate Holiday Treats

With Lunar New Year 2025 just around the corner, the shopping atmosphere at supermarkets and shopping malls remains subdued. Consumers are still tightening their spending, forcing businesses to continuously launch promotional programs and discounts to stimulate demand.

Festive Beers Slash Prices

The most lackluster items are festive beers. Staff at beer stalls in several Ho Chi Minh City supermarkets reported that they have been selling Lunar New Year beers for a month now, but very few customers are buying. As a result, every few days, retailers and brands have to adjust prices downward to attract customers.

For instance, at the beginning of this week, Ho Chi Minh City supermarkets had a new round of price cuts for festive items such as beer, soft drinks, and confectionery. In addition, beer buyers are eligible to participate in gift-giving and lucky draw programs organized by the brands.

A survey of prices at several supermarkets found that most beer brands have been discounted. Heineken beer, for instance, is now priced at VND 429,000 per crate, a reduction of VND 15,000; Tiger beer is VND 269,000 per crate, a decrease of VND 9,000; and Saigon beer is VND 253,000 per crate, a drop of VND 10,000.

In Hanoi, the demand for festive beer at grocery stores and supermarkets is also rather quiet at this time. Observations at supermarkets reveal an increasing number of festive beer promotions, such as buying five cans to get one free, buying a crate to get five cans free, or discounts ranging from 5% to 10%. However, these offers are still struggling to attract customers.

This is partly because many people have not yet received their Lunar New Year bonuses and partly due to regulations strictly prohibiting alcohol consumption when driving. Nonetheless, a seller on Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, urged customers to buy festive beer now, claiming that as the holiday approaches and demand increases, prices will go up.

Ms. Thao Anh, owner of a grocery store on Nguyen Phong Sac Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, shared that learning from last year’s experience, she has only imported a small quantity of festive beer this year, approximately 50 crates of popular brands. “Currently, customers who buy in bulk only purchase one crate or a few cans, so I don’t dare to stock up. As for pricing, I offer direct discounts on the products to compete with supermarkets,” she said.

In terms of pricing, observations indicate that festive beer prices this year have not fluctuated much, averaging between VND 300,000 and VND 450,000 per crate of 24 cans, depending on the brand. Some brands have increased their prices compared to 2024, but not significantly, ranging from VND 5,000 to VND 30,000 per crate to offset rising costs.

At convenience stores, festive beer prices are currently higher than at supermarkets. For instance, Heineken beer is priced at VND 446,000 per crate, VND 15,000 more than at supermarkets, while Saigon beer costs VND 255,000 per crate, a difference of VND 2,000. At grocery stores, prices are even higher, with Tiger beer reaching VND 336,000 per crate and Heineken beer at VND 455,000, VND 26,000 more than at supermarkets.

Ms. Hau, owner of a convenience store in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that last year, she imported more than 50 crates of various beer brands but only sold less than 20 crates during the Lunar New Year period. This year, she dares to import only about 10 crates for the festive season. “I only get a small quantity to have a full range of products. If customers are willing to pay these prices, I will sell; if not, it’s fine,” Ms. Hau said.

Promotions Are a Must

In addition to festive beer, soft drinks are also being discounted, with price cuts ranging from VND 30,000 to VND 60,000 per crate. Similarly, confectionery items are being reduced in price to attract early Lunar New Year shoppers. For instance, Merry boxed cakes are now VND 44,000 cheaper per 333-gram box, Oxford biscuits are VND 30,000 less per 420-gram box, Cosy biscuits are VND 15,000 lower per 330-gram box, Danisa butter cookies are discounted by VND 22,000 per box, and Lu biscuits are VND 63,000 cheaper, now priced at VND 189,000 per 708-gram box. Notably, gift baskets sold in supermarkets are also being discounted, with price cuts ranging from a few dozen thousand dong to over VND 100,000 per basket, depending on their value.

Speaking to the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, Mr. Dinh Quang Khoi, Marketing Director of MM Mega Market, pointed out a distinct feature of this year’s festive market: consumers are particularly interested in promotional items, as evidenced by a 10% increase in promotional item sales at MM Mega Market compared to the same period last year. “Promotional item revenue accounts for nearly 40% of total sales, forcing businesses to continuously offer promotions; otherwise, it will be difficult to sell goods,” Mr. Khoi stated.

A representative of a major supermarket system reported that the demand for confectionery items is increasing compared to the previous week. However, the best-selling products are cakes, candies, and jams sold in bulk. To boost sales, many brands have collaborated with retailers to offer discounts of up to 15-30%. Major players in the confectionery industry, such as Mondelez Kinh Do, Orion, and Bibica, have joined the price competition. For instance, Mondelez Kinh Do has reduced the price of traditional biscuits by VND 30,000 (now VND 241,000 per box), and Cosy biscuits are now priced at VND 165,000 per box, a reduction of VND 170,000.

Saigon Co.op’s representative shared that this year, consumers tend to shop for the Lunar New Year earlier, especially for non-perishable items like dried foods, confectionery, and nuts. To meet this demand, the distributor has launched early promotional programs tailored to different shopping phases, ensuring that customers feel they are getting the best deals. This approach also helps prevent overcrowding in the days leading up to the holiday.

Ms. Ly Kim Chi, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Foodstuff Association, said that most businesses in the confectionery, egg, and meat industries, as well as the rice sector, have prepared 10-15% more stock for the festive season compared to the same period last year. Anticipating a challenging market, many businesses have opted to reduce profit margins to maintain price stability. Notably, enterprises in the fresh food industry, such as meat and eggs, participating in Ho Chi Minh City’s price stabilization program, will offer deep discounts on the two days leading up to the Lunar New Year to support consumers.