Back in business: weekend crowds at Hanoi malls

By Anh Tu October 2, 2021 | 07:01 pm PT

After several social distancing campaigns since late July, the capital city’s shopping malls started drawing crowds the first weekend after they reopened Tuesday.

In Hanoi, malls have been open since Tuesday. But they didnt start to get crowded until the weekend. Most of the stalls at Vincom shopping center on Ba Trieu Street have reopened and only a few food and beverage stalls are still closed despite being allowed to sell take-out.At the entrance of each shopping center, customers must fill online health declaration using QR Code and have their temperature screened.

Most of the stalls at Vincom shopping center on Ba Trieu Street have reopened. Only a few food and beverage stalls remained closed despite being allowed to sell takeout.
At the entrance of each shopping center, customers had to fill online health declarations using QR codes and have their body temperature screened.

Customers queue up outside the store of fashion brand Zara. The store only allows five customers to enter at a time.

Quite a few customers also have to wait in line to enter this store at another entrance.

The store has strongly discounted many items, so it attracts a large number of young consumers. Customers who want to try on the outfit also have line up to wait for their turn for the fitting room.

The store has discounted many items, attracting a large number of young consumers. Those who wanted to use the fitting room had to line up and await their turn.

Shoppers are queuing up in line at the checkout. It is estimated that each customer wait for 5-10 minutes for their turn.

Shoppers queue up at the checkout counter. Each customer waited for 5-10 minutes at the counter for their turn.

The cashier counter at a store of Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo at a shopping center on Pham Ngoc Thach Street. The payment counters have barriers between the cashier and the customer.
The brand has reopened three outlets in Hanoi since September 29 while its stores in HCMC have remained closed since late May.

Not only fashion stores, some coffee and milk tea stalls in this shopping center are also crowded with buyers and shippers buying drinks for take-out.

Several coffee and milk tea stalls at this shopping center also had customers line up to get a takeout drink.

Contrary to the bustling scene in the shopping center, a few dozen meters away, the row of womens fashion stores on Chua Boc Street was empty on Saturday afternoon.

Contrary to the bustling scene in the shopping centers, a few dozen meters away, the row of women's fashion stores on Chua Boc Street was empty Saturday afternoon.

After two months of semi-lockdown, these stores are all offering discounts of up to 50 percent to discharge summer items, preparing capital to import upcoming winter goods. However, with the current gloomy market situation, many stores are also quite worried about importing more goods.

After two months of semi-lockdowns, these stores are offering discounts of up to 50 percent on their summer items, preparing capital to import upcoming winter goods. However, with the current gloomy market situation, many stores are also worried about importing more goods.

On the streets of Chua Boc, Kim Ma and Cau Giay, many shops have not yet reopened due to lack of staff and slow offline sales.Some stores have terminated their renting contracts and landlords have not found new tenants. Meanwhile some shops have transferred ownerships.

On Chua Boc, Kim Ma and Cau Giay streets, many shops have not yet reopened due to lack of staff and slow offline sales.
Some stores have terminated their rental contracts and landlords have not found new tenants.