Ben Thanh Market extended opening hours to 10 PM to attract customers

20/10/2023 2023-10-20 3:06

Ben Thanh Market News

Ben Thanh Market extended opening hours to 10 PM to attract customers

October 20, 2023
By admin

In a bid to revitalize its allure, Ben Thanh Market has decided to extend its opening hours until 10 PM, strategically tapping into the night owls and evening shoppers. The iconic market in Ho Chi Minh City aims to create a dynamic shopping experience under the city lights, luring in customers with the promise of extended exploration and discovery. This move not only caters to the bustling energy of the city but also opens up new opportunities for both locals and tourists to engage in the market's diverse offerings after sunset.

Effort to improve Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market extended its operating hours to 10pm, creating a place for tourists to have fun and shop in the city at night. At the same time, the blockhouses in front of the market have been dismantled, and the Metro station is gradually taking shape. The market has been renovated and upgraded, thereby attracting more tourists.

Mr. Nguyen Vinh Ha, Captain of the Ben Thanh Market Professional Team, said that in response to the tourism promotion campaign “Ho Chi Minh City welcomes you”, the market management board mobilized and 182 traders participated in the month. Promotional sales (from May 1 to May 31) discounts from 5% – 30%.

At the same time, to create a stopover and shopping destination for tourists, the Management Board has encouraged small businesses to extend operating hours to 9-10 p.m. and currently 102 have registered to participate

Evaluation of the Management Board of Ben Thanh Market, the number of visitors to the market between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. is about 100 visitors.

Mr. Ha acknowledged that the number of visitors to the market in the evening is not large because propaganda work on extending operating hours has not been widespread; The blockhouses around the market have not been dismantled, causing traffic restrictions and affecting the image of the market at night.

“We will continue to promote the market image and market operating hours on websites. Repair and renovate the LED floodlight system to decorate the roof of the market, creating aesthetic highlights to attract customers,” Mr. Ha said.

Currently, the number of visitors visiting and shopping at Ben Thanh market is about 1,000 – 1,200/day. International visitors account for about 40%.

Compared to before the fourth epidemic, sales decreased by about 50%. However, compared to last month, purchasing power increased by 10% – 15%.

Feedback from businesses

Ms. Loan, a small souvenir seller, said that after three years of closing due to the epidemic, she only reopened her stall 1.5 months ago, so she has invested in repairs, upgrades, and better displays to wait for customers to return.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is promoting to attract many visitors, but the number of tourists coming to Ben Thanh market has not yet recovered.

“For example, my stall used to welcome 60 customers a day, but now it only welcomes about 5 customers and the customers also come and go, not all at once like before. Due to the increase in gasoline, the price of goods has increased by 5,000 VND. -10,000 VND/item but I still participate in promotional sales of 5%-10%” – Ms. Loan shared.

“Small traders are very happy when the Management Board creates conditions to sell until 10 p.m. However, Ben Thanh night market is still so new, many tourists do not know that it is sold at night, so I hope the Management Board will promote it more so that more tourists will know” – Ms. Loan said.