With diversified models and attractive displays, shopping centres are catching customers’ eyes for Valentine’s Day (February 14), the most anticipated day of the year for happy couples.

 Markets full of new presents     

 Presents for couples such as jewelry, teddy bears, T-shirts, decorative objects and gift boxes are being sold briskly in many shops on main streets such as Le Loi, Nguyen Trai, Hai Ba Trung and Le Van Sy in Ho Chi Minh City.

 Several new gift items include a magic glass that changes colour sells for VND100,000-150,000, hearts made of stone go for VND60,000, souvenir boxes at VND50,000-120,000, and a basket full of presents including a pair of teddy bears, chocolates and keys can be bought for VND95,000-145,000.     

 

High-class cosmetics such as perfume, skin cream and lipstick are the most favoured with office staff. Co.op Mart is offering 15-40 percent discounts, and Big C market is offering special prices for 100 items for couples. Phu Nhuan Jewelry Company (PNJ) is purchasing 999 high-end jewelry carved with the words “Love, Forever” worth VND200,000-500,000 and Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC) is giving 3-10 percent off on gemstone and pearl jewelry.

 Traditional articles most popular

 In the northern province of Bac Ninh, young people prefer to choose traditional items such as chocolate and rose.

  

These days, shops on main streets such as Ngo Gia Tu, Nguyen Gia Thieu, and Big Market, are filled with boxes of heart-shaped chocolates made in China, Russia, Belgium and France, carved with I Love You and popular words about love. The price of each box hovers around VND50,000-300,000.

 

The price of roses fluctuates at between VND10,000-30,000 per item. A bunch of flowers sells for VND50,000-150,000, and a basket of roses shaped like a heart goes for VND150,000-300,000.     

 

Nice cards to accompany the gifts sell for VND2,000-10,000 each.

 

HCM City: fresh flowers most favoured and chocolate maintain reasonable prices

 

This year fresh flowers designed to attach to chocolates, teddy bears, hair-pins and key-hangers are very popular. They may also be enclosed in small rattan bicycles, ceramics and glass vases.

 

Because Valentine’s Day falls after the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, there is shortage of fresh flowers. In HCM City these days, the price of fresh flowers is twice as high as normal: Da Lat roses cost VND10,000-15,000 each, French roses are VND40,000 per item and tulips sell for VND50,000-60,000 each.

 

Luu Thi Bich Nga, shopkeeper at No.6 Mac Dinh Chi street, said she has designed many baskets of flowers for Valentine’s Day with an average price of VND1-3 million.

 

Chocolate comes in a wide range of forms and prices, making it the favourite of young people. Covered in red, pink and white, it has different prices depending on the size: Chocolate Mark&Milk costs VND30,200 for a 70gr box, two-heart Chocolate Champion goes for VND35,000 per 145gr box; and Chocolate Emissary sells at VND34,500 for 180gr box.

 

A representative of the Chocolate Graphics company said regular products fluctuate between VND120,000-300,000 while custom-made products have different prices.

 

(VOVNEWS)