Workers' market - A colorful picture

In the heart of the industrial center Binh Duong, with more than 30 industrial zones and clusters, it's easy to find markets of various types. These range from bustling and popular ones to more rustic ones, where large numbers of workers, returning home from work every afternoon, choose foods for dinner.

After work, Tran Trong Nghia stops by a market to buy vegetables to cook dinner.

Busy after work hours

At 3 p.m., small traders at Thong Dung market, located in An Phu ward, Thuan An City, were chatting loudly and quickly preparing goods to serve workers when they finished work and returned to their lodging rooms. Ha Thi Thu, a long-time trader at this market, enthusiastically invited customers to visit the fresh pork stall she had prepared neatly. She said: “I was born in Thanh Hoa and have been living in Binh Duong for more than 10 years. Many years ago, people used to say that living in Binh Duong was convenient. The large number of workers at boarding houses and industrial parks ensured that goods sold quickly. Indeed, since I started trading in this market, I only encountered the most difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic; the rest of the goods were sold regularly to workers. In particular, trading at a workers' market is a bit different from trading at conventional markets, where goods are sold like hot cakes in the afternoon. Every time their shift ends, workers disperse, and the market becomes crowded and bustling.

At the edge of the market, we encountered many small traders selling vegetables on three-wheeled carts at quite cheap public prices: only 10k and 15k (10,000 VND, 15,000 VND). Quickly cutting damaged leaves with his hands, Nguyen Ngoc Quyet, a seller, said: "The reason I sell inexpensive products is not because they are of poor quality, but because I choose to sell from a cart to save on rental costs, thus allowing me to offer the products at a lower price, making it more affordable for workers to purchase. In recent years, the challenging economic conditions have also impacted workers' earnings and expenditures on meals. Therefore, they always want to choose good food at affordable prices."

At 4:30 a.m., Thong Dung market became bustling with buyers and sellers. We encountered many workers buying foods at the market. Tran Trong Nghia, a worker at Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP 1), shared: “I often visit the market after work to buy food for dinner. This location is convenient because it's close to my company, near my lodging house, and in the afternoon, you can stop by the market for a small lunch."

Coming from Cai Be district, Tien Giang province, Nghia came to Binh Duong to start a business in 2015. Currently, he and his wife are workers at VSIP I. With an average income of 8 to 10 million VND/month, they spend sparingly about 60 to 80,000 VND for a family meal.

Colorful picture

When we visited Dong An 2 market in Binh Hoa ward, Thuan An city, we were surprised to find rows of lodging houses behind the market. That means every time workers come home from work, they will pass through the market to get to their room. Pham Bich Le, worker at Dong An Industrial Park, said: “It's fun to pass by the market every afternoon. Sometimes, I don't need to buy anything and just browse, but I feel very exciting. The smell of food, the laughter, the bargaining of buyers and sellers, make me feel that this place is always vibrant, not as quiet as in the countryside."

Ms. Le has lived in Binh Duong for nearly 20 years. She was single then, but she is now married, and her children have grown up. She said that over time, she got used to the dynamic and bustling lifestyle of Binh Duong, so she only wanted to live here and didn't want to go anywhere else.

The workers' market is not just a place for shopping, but also a place for workers to socialize and meet each other after a hard day's work. Walking around the market, you can see simple but meaningful images of everyday life: Women are busy choosing to buy food for family dinner, children eagerly follow their mothers to the market, or groups of workers gather to chat and share sad or happy stories at street vendors.

Binh Duong currently hosts more than 30 large and small industrial zones and clusters, accommodating millions of workers who live and work far from their homes. Almost every industrial zone and cluster has worker markets, serving the essential needs of workers. It sells a variety of items, including fresh food, vegetables, meat, and fish, as well as clothes, household appliances, and electronics.

In addition, shopping malls, large and small supermarkets, convenience stores, mini supermarkets, pop-up markets, and small grocery stores in front of each boarding house all sell a full range of products and essential food. All blend to create a vivid, colorful picture of the province's commercial activities...

Reported by N.Nhu, T.Thai - Translated by Ngoc Huynh