At the Tay Ho flower market along Lac Long Quan Street, thousands of peach blossom, kumquat and apricot trees line the roadside, but shoppers are scarce. Many vendors sit idly behind their stalls, scrolling on their phones while waiting for customers.
“I’ve sold kumquat for more than a decade but have never seen sales this bad, worse than during Covid-19,” said Tam, a trader from Tu Lien, noting she has sold only a few dozen trees compared with 200-300 in previous years.
Prices have largely held steady, with small kumquat trees costing a few hundred thousand dong and larger ones priced at VND 2-3 million (USD 76-114), but buyers remain hesitant as stricter parking enforcement discourages motorists from stopping to browse.
The slump has also hit related services. Nam, a motorbike driver who transports peach and kumquat trees for customers, said that in previous years he could barely keep up with demand, making dozens of trips a day.
“This year it’s completely different, on a good day I get three or four jobs, and some days no one hires me at all,” he said.
Peach and apricot blossom sellers reported similar conditions, with a southern trader saying daily sales have fallen from dozens to just one or two despite only modest price rises to cover higher transport costs.
Many traders said they are scaling back inventories and preparing to discount closer to Tet if demand does not recover, warning that prolonged weak sales could force some to quit the trade.
