Children's toy sales showed signs of decline on International Children's Day, June 1, due largely to the lack of diversity in items and the lack of spending power of parents.
Hoa, a shop owner on Hai Ba Trung Street in HCM City, said parents were only buying top-range toys in the VND90,000 to VND250,000 range, though mostly they were purchasing utilitarian gifts for their children, such as school bags or school supplies.
Cam Lan, a shop owner on Phan Dinh Phung Street, said the demand for toys should be up by 10-to-15 percent from mid-May, "but we are even seeing fewer window shoppers this year."
Despite discounts and promotional programmes, and extra activities at supermarkets, for Children's Day, which has become a tradition in Vietnam, sales were low.
