I'm not usually one to shy away from shopping. In fact, I'd
say I'm very partial to the occasional guerilla style sweep of local shopping
haunts.
When
venturing out into Ha Noi's famed old quarter, it's rare to encounter the
scientifically perfected techniques designed to encourage hapless retail
victims such as myself into spending more than intended. There are no set
prices, comfortable changing rooms or fancy window dresses on these chaotic
streets.
Hence
why many foreigners are overwhelmed by the prospect of haggling over a pair of
counterfeit New Balance sneakers, only inches away from rush hour traffic,
hastily stacked shelves bursting with merchandise all the while having the
occasional street chicken meander between your legs.
When
I arrived in Ha Noi, I was plagued with conflicting feelings. Yes, there was a
burning curiousity to discover Ha Noi's bustling retail scene, but there was
also a childish fear of an unknown retail landscape so vastly different.
For
the first time ever I was actually scared of shopping altogether.
For
many, this can often be the case: so many things to buy, so vast a cultural
distance keeping them out of reach.
Viet
Nam has long been a renowned hub for producing cheap and quality leather goods,
art, textiles and shoes. Whilst the initial prospect of shopping amid the
chaotic and seemingly lawless streets of the Old Quarter can be overwhelming,
the payoffs are there to be made earned.
For
the newcomer and western retail-agrophobes, here are some tips for shopping in
Viet Nam.
Use basic Vietnamese
Knowing
one, or even a couple of basic phrases may disguise your image as a hapless and
unwitting cash cow waiting to be slaughtered. For example, even a simple
"bao nhieu tien" (how much is this?), or a few light hearted "oi
gioi oi" can help you walk away in fabulous counterfeit Vans for as low as
US$9.
I'll
concede that this won't always work and for those willing to go nuclear you can
always try the patented ‘walk away' technique. But try to keep it light and
friendly. A smile always helps.
Be prepared to bargain
You
don't have to be in Viet Nam very long to realise that street vendors lining
the streets of the Old Quarter will charge according to their perception of
your ability to pay means-tested prices or, as I like to call it, the ‘foreign
premium'.
According
to my Vietnamese friends, foreigners can be charged upwards of three to four
times normal rates.
A
business negotiations lecturer once told me that my BATNA (best alternative to
a negotiated agreement) is the buffer between my personal valuation of
something and the price at which I would walk away (or a cheaper price I know I
can attain elsewhere).
Research
roughly how much you should be paying for things you want (your walk away
price). Consulting your Vietnamese friends or your tour guide is an ideal way
of doing this. Often, if not always, you'll be more confident being able to
bargain things down if you know how much its worth.
Learn by example
Whilst
I'll admit my retail prowess is yet to fully take flight here, I've had the
benefit of good coaching from my Vietnamese friends.
In
my first month, a language lesson I organised near Hang Dau Street quickly
became an excuse to go shopping and get my tutor to help me bargain for shoes.
Shopping
with your Vietnamese friends can be profoundly helpful demonstration of how to
bargain, in addition to being a rather amusing social occasion when you're
forced to try it for yourself.
Obviously,
you should only use these tips when you're shopping around street vendors –
i.e. places without printed price tags.
Otherwise,
don't look surprised when the assistant at the VinCom perfume counter looks
unamused when you try to bargain for a bottle of Aqua di Gio.
Value vs cost
Ultimately,
it's inevitable that you'll pay a higher price for something and it can suck to
feel like you've been ripped off.
To
this, I say that value is in the eye of the beholder (more so for rich
travellors than expats being paid in dong). Sure, you paid more than you should
have, but how much did you want it? How much less did you pay than you would
back home?
Value
is in the eye of the beholder and at the very least, knowing how much you value
something might soothe the humiliating feeling that you've been swindled, after
you've proudly flaunted your counterfeit Ray Ban Clubmasters purchased for
VND100,000, only to be told you could have had them for VND20,000.
The interesting address when shopping in Ho Chi Minh city
- Market: Ben Thanh MarKet( between street Phan Boi Chau - Phan Chu Trinh - Le Thanh Ton, Ben Thanh ward, District 1) Sai Gon Quare ( 7-9 Ton Duc Thang, District 1), Binh Tay market ( 57A Thap Muoi, ward 2, District 6), Tan Dinh Market ( 1 Nguyen Huu Cau, Tan Dinh ward, District 1), An Dong Market ( 34-36 An Duong Vuong, ward 9, District 5), Ba Chieu Market (40 Dien Hong, Ward 1, Binh Thanh District).........
- Super Market: Maximark (3C 3 thang 2, ward 11, district 10 and ....) Big C (268 To Hien Thanh, ward 15, District 10 and .....) Co.op Mark (189C Cong Quynh, Nguyen Cu Trinh ward, District 1 and ....),.....
- Shopping Centres: Diamond Plaza (34 Le Duan, District 1), Vilcom Centre ( 45A Ly Tu Trong, District 1), Sai Gon Centre (65 Le Loi, Ben Nghe ward, District 1), Hung Vuong Plaza (126 Hung Vuong, District 5), Nguyen Kim (63 - 65 - 67 Tran Hung Dao, District 1), Zen plaza (54-56 Nguyen Trai, District 1), Bitexco (2 Hai Trieu, Ben Nghe ward, district 1) .......
- Fashion street: Nguyen Trai, Le Van Sy, Hai Ba Trung, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Cach Mang Thang 8, .....
- Restaurant address: Nam Kha (46-48-50 Dong Khoi, District 1), Au Manoir De Khai (251 Dien Bien Phu, District 3), Ming Dynasty (23 Nguyen Khac Vien, District 7), Zen Viet (92-94-96 Le Loi, District 1), D'House (15 Nguyen Thiep, District 1), La Taverne (76 Suong Nguyet Anh, District 1)......
- Hotel's Address: New World (76 Le Lai, District 1), Rex Saigon (141 Nguyen Hue, District 1), Carevelle Sai gon (19 Cong Truong Lam Son, District 1), Park Hayatt SaiGon (2 Cong Truong Lam Son, District 1) ....
.jpg "Discover Vietnam: Sapa Town information")
0 nhận xét: