Moon ‍Cake Sales Plummet in Hanoi ‍After Mid-Autumn Festival

Following ⁤the ⁢full moon of August, numerous moon cake ⁤stalls in Hanoi displayed “big sale” signs, but few customers were in sight. The‍ large number of “near-expiry” cakes left sellers‍ feeling anxious.

After the Mid-Autumn ⁢Festival, it’s not uncommon to see cake stalls ‌advertising “high-end mooncakes ​at big discounts” ​and “buy 1 get 1 free mooncakes”⁣ on many ​streets in Hanoi. However, the number of customers remains low.

According to a seller on Le Quang Dao⁢ Street (Nam Tu Liem District), this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival ‌saw a significant​ decline ​in cake sales compared⁤ to last year, resulting⁢ in⁤ a substantial⁢ amount of unsold cakes. Famous cake brands such as Kinh Do and Madame Huong reduced prices by 40-50%, but there were still few customers.

A ⁢cake seller shared, “I not only sell at⁤ the counter but also advertise⁣ on social networking sites, but few people ask to buy. After two days of discount, there are still many cakes left. Some cakes only have ‌about 5 days left to sell, if they can’t be sold today, they have to continue to discount tomorrow.”

Despite launching various “floor-breaking”⁢ discount programs, mooncake stalls ‌have seen minimal impact. After two days of discounts, the number of mooncakes sold slowly, and‍ many stalls have⁣ closed down and⁣ stopped ⁤selling.

Ms. Linh, a cake seller on Tran Thai Tong Street (Cau Giay ⁣District), explained, “Most of the ‘big sale’ cakes only have a‍ shelf life of‌ 5-10 days, so customers only buy small quantities. Additionally, this year’s economic difficulties, storms, and ‌floods caused significant damage, leading people to tighten⁤ their spending.”

Ms. ⁢Linh⁢ added⁢ that there are still many “near-expiry” cakes, while purchasing power is slow, making sellers feel⁤ anxious.

In social media groups and forums selling moon cakes, the activities of “clearing‍ goods” ‌and “sale floors” are bustling, but there are more sellers than buyers. The number of⁤ posts selling moon cakes at “big discounts” is high, but ⁣the number of people ‍interacting is very small.

Ms. Hoang Mai Ngoc‍ (Hoai Duc district), who sells moon cakes on social media, said, “Customers who buy ‘big sale’ cakes mainly buy ‌retail cakes, and the shipping cost is more than the price of the cake, making it difficult to close orders. Last ​year, after one day of discount, all the cakes were​ sold ⁣out, but this ⁢year⁤ sales are very slow.”

Economic ​experts assess that the consumption of moon cakes‍ this year has decreased significantly compared⁢ to last year due to the difficult economic situation.‍ Many companies have cut back and do not give moon cakes to employees. Additionally, storm No. ⁣3 hit ⁢the North, causing heavy damage and forcing many places to postpone organizing​ Mid-Autumn Festival programs to focus on funding to support people affected by the storm.