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Some Vietnamese fashion brands are keeping calm amid the ‘foreign fashion wave’, saying they have advantages in the local market and with demand on the increase, the market is still large enough.

Many foreign brands, from high-street to luxury, including Chanel, Giovanni, Salvatore Ferragamo, Mango, Zara and H&M, all have landed in Vietnam. Uniqlo from Japan is also expected.

Realizing the high demand, Zara opened a shop in HCMC in September 2016. The Spanish fashion brand began selling products online on April 5, 2017 and will open its second shop in Hanoi.

In September 2017, H&M will open its first shop in Vietnam, located at Vincom Dong Khoi, just next to Zara’s shop. The Swedish fashion brand stated that Vietnam is among the five key markets that it is targeting. Nikkei reported that Vietnam is a strategic destination point for Zara and H&M in their plans to conquer new markets.

Inditex, which runs the Zara chain, said 280 shops would open in the 2017 fiscal year, while the brand would focus on five new markets, including New Zealand and Vietnam, with 93 new shops to open.

H&M also plans to open 430 more shops this year in some markets, including Kazakhstan, Columbia and Vietnam.

While Vietnamese fashion brands remain unruffled as luxury brands arrive in Vietnam, they seem to be worried about the presence of high-street brands such as Zara and H&M.

Luxury brands are reserved for a minority of consumers with high income, while high-street brands target middle-income earners and will be the major rivals for Vietnamese brands. Sources said Zara earned VND5.5 billion in revenue on the first day of operation in Vietnam.

Analysts said that Foci, a brand of Nguyen Tam Company, NinoMaxx (Thoi Trang Viet), Blue Exchange (Xanh Co Ban Fashion), PT2000 (Pham Tuong Garment 2000) and Canifa (Hoang Duong Trade & Service Co) will be affected by foreign brands because the companies target the same group of customers.

Online sellers are also rivals of foreign high-street brands in Vietnam. Vu Thuy Hanh in Cau Giay district in Hanoi said before Zara came to Vietnam, she could earn VND100 million a month from selling Zara’s products online and did not have to pay tax.

However, Nguyen Tiep from NEM, a Vietnamese brand, is optimistic about the company’s business performance. He said the market is large enough for all to thrive if businesses can find the right market segments.

Source: VietNamNet

The whirlwind formally known as Saigon is a hot, noisy, dynamic city that rarely sleeps, with a complex history and plenty of culture to soak up. Combine this with the laughably good-value prices of everything from lodgings to lunch, and there’s never been a better time to explore this south Vietnamese gem. Here are 11 ways to make the most of a visit.

Pedestrian space at weekends

Bui Vien Street, a popular destination with Western backpackers in Ho Chi Minh City, has been pedestrianised and officially opened to the public on the evening of August 20. This is the second walking street in Vietnam’s southern economic hub after Nguyen Hue Street opened in 2015. Bui Vien Street is pedestrianised from 7pm to 2am the next day on Saturday and Sunday, during which no motor vehicles are allowed to travel on a 1.4 kilometre long section from the intersection with De Tham Street to the intersection with Do Quang Dau Street.

Hit the spa

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is awash with spas, offering the chance to relax and unwind far from the madding crowd while still being slap bang in the city centre. Unlike in the UK, you can easily spend a day pampering yourself without breaking the bank. Jolene Spa in District 1, just round the corner from Ben Thanh market, charges 250,000VND (£8.70) for a gel manicure and regular pedicure, or 150,000VND (£5.20) for a full body massage.

Get haggling

The biggest and best of HCMC’s markets is Ben Thanh (chobenthanh.org.vn). Head over there to grab cheap street food and pick up a range of souvenirs. There are traditional Vietnamese lanterns aplenty, plus colourful fans, scarves, bowls and chopsticks, and, of course, “lucky” cats. Be sure to negotiate heavily on price – as a tourist you’ll be asked to pay far above the odds unless you barter.

Head underground

An excursion to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels makes for an eye-opening afternoon. Used by the Vietnamese during the war with America, these immense networks of underground tunnels enabled whole villages to stay safe, plus meant Vietnamese guerrilla fighters could take the enemy by surprise. Visitors can crawl their way through a 100m stretch of tunnel and watch their tour guide demonstrate with ghoulish pleasure the ingenious traps the Vietnamese used to kill or maim US soldiers. Costing from $20 for a half-day tour (8am-2pm or 1-7pm), this trip includes return transfers plus entry to the tunnels.

Take in a show

Enter into a magical world of wooden puppets diving and splashing across a water stage at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre. This traditional form of Vietnamese entertainment includes narration and musical accompaniment from musicians and singers seated at either side of the stage. There are daily 50-minute performances at 5pm and 6.30pm with tickets costing 230,000VND (£8) on the door.

Go for a scoot

HCMC is a city of mopeds – they’re everywhere. And one of the most enjoyable experiences is hopping onto one, which is by far the best way to see the city. Hiring one isn’t massively recommended – there seem to be few rules on the road, with drivers doing random U-turns into oncoming traffic whenever the mood takes them – but you can hire an Uber moto instead. It’s booked exactly the same way as a regular Uber, with a 10-minute ride costing around 10,000VND (35p).

Change your caffeine fix

If there’s one thing the Vietnamese have indisputably nailed, it’s coffee. You can pick up a Vietnamese coffee – white or black, hot or cold – in pretty much every HCMC restaurant or café. Why is it so good? When served white, it’s made with condensed milk, creating a miracle drink that balances the strength of the drip filter coffee with a rich, sweet finish.

Buff up on your history

A visit to the War Remnants Museum is a sobering experience – but an important one. Containing exhibits relating to the Vietnam War and the first Indochina War with the French colonialists, it features photographs, military vehicles, and various weapons. It’s rare to see the horrors of war displayed so starkly. Graphic photographs depict the effects of the USA’s chemical weapons – Agent Orange, napalm, and phosphorus bombs. Entry costs 15,000VND (50p) and the museum is open daily from 7.30am-6pm.

Eat with locals

Com Nieu Sai Gon in District 3 dishes up a range of great-value Vietnamese dishes. It’s slightly under the radar for tourists, so don’t be surprised if the English isn’t too good, or if they don’t have everything listed on the insanely long menu. Just go with it – whatever they bring you will be delicious. A decent piece of sea bass in chilli sauce with a side of steamed rice costs 150,000VND (£5.20).

Get high

For unrivalled views of the city, head to Bitexco Financial Tower, otherwise known as the Saigon Skydeck , in District 1. Opt to enjoy the 360 degree views at 230m from the bar on the 50th floor – it’s free, and you can grab a drink for roughly the same price as entry to the Skydeck. Cocktails start from 220,000VND (£7.60) or a smoothie costs 169,000VND (£5.80).

Experience a touch of Paris

Perhaps the most stand-out of the many traces left by French colonialists in the 1880s is the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral. Trying to recreate the feel of the cathedral of the same name in Paris, builders used French bricks and constructed huge Romanesque bell towers. Have a gander any time from 5.30am-5pm daily.

Source: Nhân Dân Online , The Independent

While China still leads as the No.1 sourcing destination for the majority of fashion companies, Vietnam is the rising star. An FN Platform today focused on the reasons why the country is one to watch in sourcing.

Julie Hughes, president of the U.S. Fashion Industry Association led a discussion with speakers Steve DiBlasi, VP global sourcing at Lanier Clothes; Ron Klein, director retail & consumer management at PWC; Avedis Seferian, president & CEO of World Responsible Accredited Production; and Chris Walker, an apparel production advisor.

A reason for the country’s rapid growth in export manufacturing is based on its speed to market capabilities and focus on compliance.

Vietnam takes social compliance seriously, both on a factory and societal level, according to Seferian. “In terms of understanding good legal structure and law-enabling compliance, Vietnam is reliable and consistent,” he continued.

He also added that regardless of President Donald Trump’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal withdrawal, Vietnam will still remain a leading destination, and there’s money to be made.

Other factors adding to Vietnam’s appeal include its English-speaking management and machinery investments. The speakers also noted that because factories are moving from cities to rural areas, wages and employee turned are in turn being reduced.

The Nikkei Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reported by IHS Markit fell to 51.7 in July from 52.5 in June. The result remains above the critical 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction, but signals a slowdown in the pace of expansion in the manufacturing sector.

Output growth eased in July as new orders increased at a slower rate. As a result, manufacturers’ purchasing activity rose at a more subdued pace. Nevertheless, backlogs of work picked up, recording the fastest rise in more than six years, and depleted stocks of finished goods as inventories were used to meet new orders. Consequently, firms continued to hire more workers in July, although the speed of job creation was relatively stable from the previous month. Moreover, input cost inflation moderated to the weakest rate in over a year, easing firms’ cost burdens and prompting them to reduce their output prices. Business sentiment rose as more than half of the survey respondents predicted an increase in output going forward owing to expected higher demand and planned expansions.

FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists see investment rising 8.3% in 2017, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast. For 2018, the panel expects investment to grow 8.0%.

Source: FN Platform , FocusEconomics

It is a royal tradition that has proved bountiful through the ages and one that Thailand’s fruit carvers are determined to keep alive – even as young people peel away from the unique art form.

From beetroots carved into roses to fruity floats made from papayas and melons, the most important fruit carving competition in Thailand took place in Bangkok Friday.

But for competitor Piyanat Thiwato, carving is about more than just winning.

“Carving can improve our mind because it requires concentration and enhances our imagination, it’s a way to relax,” he said.

The tradition has been traced back to Thailand’s royal Sukhothai dynasty, in the 14th century. “The art of food carving started hundreds years ago. Thailand is rich with arts and crafts. It’s like a very beautiful treasure that we have,” said Araya Arunanondchai, the event’s organiser.

“In the old days, it was done in the royal palaces for the royal family,” she added.

Dozens of Thai artists competed in the famous fruit and vegetable carving competition, which was organized in honor of Queen Sirikit, who turns 85 on August 12.

More than 20 teams carved anything from owls to elephants or intricate Thai designs onto fruits including taros, melons, and papaya.

Fruit carving is still popular as an offering in temples or as a decoration for weddings. Fine arts students can still choose to learn it at university, as they would take painting lessons. But the tradition is fading away.

“Not so many young people are interested in it or the ones who studied it in art schools cannot make a living out of it”, Manirat Svastiwat na Ayutthaya, food carving expert said.

Source: NDTV

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was pleased with an international tourism survey that ranked Bangkok as the world’s best-value long-haul city break in 2017.

He was impressed after being briefed that visitors can spend the longest holidays with the cheapest budget in Thailand’s capital.

The survey conducted by Post Office Travel Money was published on the websites of British newspapers, including the Daily Mirror and the Daily Telegraph, on Aug 5. It reported visitors to Bangkok can spend the lowest budget on qualified services for accommodation, food, transport and tourist attractions compared with cities in other countries. The average total expenses for three days in Bangkok were about £317 (13,700 baht), the survey said.

Bangkok was also lauded as a vibrant city with attractive activities and culture as well as various sightseeing sites, particularly temples and palaces.

Gen Prayut said the survey was in accordance with the government’s policy to encourage foreigners to extend their stay and spend more money in the country in order to boost the economy.

To enhance Thailand’s tourism, several measures to promote tourism have also been devised, including exemption of visa fees, extension of stays for long-stay foreigners, providing convenience for foreign visitors and crackdowns on tourism scams such as zero-dollar tours. The prime minister also focused on issues relating to tourism and insisted problems must be solved.

For example, he ordered authorities to urgently find a solution after many tourists were forced to endure long waits at immigration checkpoints due to insufficient officers recently.

The survey analysed the cost of 11 items: a cup of coffee (regular filter) at a cafe/bar; bottle of beer/lager (330ml local brand) at a cafe/bar; Coca-Cola/Pepsi (330ml bottle/can) at a cafe/bar; glass of wine (175ml house) at a cafe/bar; three-course evening meal for two with a bottle of house wine; return bus or train transfer from airport to city centre; sightseeing on a city bus/boat tour; top tourist heritage attraction; top museum; top art gallery; and three nights’ four-star accommodation (weekend) for two adults.

Besides Bangkok, other cities ranked among the world’s best-value long-haul city breaks were Tokyo, Japan (£331); Beijing, China (£337); Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (£361); Cape Town, South Africa; Singapore; Washington DC, the US; Toronto, Canada; New York and Boston, both in the US, with costs of £711 and £823 respectively.

Source: Bangkok Post