Vendors say this is usually their busiest time of year, but sales have dropped sharply. Shops are still filled with pumpkins, skulls, masks and glowing LED lights, yet staff sit idly by, waiting for customers.
Prices remain stable, masks cost between VND 20,000 and 100,000; decorative pumpkins cost between VND 30,000 and 50,000; and popular cloaks cost between VND 50,000 and 200,000. Some stores are offering large animatronic skeletons, monsters and witches priced in the tens of millions of VND.
Phong Thai, a local shop owner, said premium models costing VND 9-15 million are bought mainly by cafés, pubs and hotels for long-term decoration.
“I came here to pick a costume for a Halloween party with friends, with pricing ranging from about VND 200,000 to 500,000,” said a customer.
Children browsing colourful costumes with their parents added a rare sense of festivity to the otherwise subdued street.
Many traders reported sales down by more than 70 per cent compared with previous years. “The holidays are too close together, Mid-Autumn and then Christmas, so people are more cautious with their spending,” a long-time shop owner shared.
Although the street still glows in the familiar orange and black of Halloween, the festive spirit has faded, leaving merchants anxious as the day draws near.
