Prices of fresh flowers for International Women's Day this year have increased compared to normal days. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — Ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, the prices of fresh flowers has risen sharply, pushing many buyers to pick more practical gifts.

Đà Lạt roses cost about VNĐ40,000 per flower; while Ecuadorian roses cost from VNĐ1.3 million to more than VNĐ2 million per bundle, while Ecuadorian rainbow roses cost VNĐ2.7 million per bundle of 14 flowers. Baby roses have a price of between from VNĐ500,000-VNĐ1 million per bunch depending on the size, reported the Vietnamplus e-newspaper.

Other flowers such as sunflowers and peonies are priced from VNĐ30,000-40,000 per flower. Orchids cost about VNĐ30,000-40,000 per branch.

Many shop owners said that the price of fresh flowers for International Women’s Day on March 8 has increased by about 20 per cent, due to high demand.

However, the number of customers visiting fresh flower shops on streets in Hà Nội, such as Trần Xuân Soạn, Cầu Giấy and Lương Đình Của, has decreased significantly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hoàng Lan, the owner of Hoa Phố Shop on Trần Xuân Soạn, said the fresh flower market this year is less busy with customer numbers falling by 10-20 per cent.

“Most of the orders come from individuals, but there are not many orders from agencies and offices due to the impact of the pandemic. However, the number of customers is still higher than Valentine's Day on February 14. The price of a flower basket is from VNĐ300,000 to VNĐ500,000 per basket, those costing more than a million đồng are rarely ordered by customers,” Lan said.

Besides fresh flowers, soap roses with various colours such as red, blue and purple are also popular with a price of about VNĐ20,000-VNĐ25,000 per flower.

The impact of COVID-19 has made the gift market quieter. Although stores and supermarkets have launched a series of great promotions, the number of customers coming to buy gifts is still lower than in previous years, especially for expensive items.

This year, many consumers tend to choose practical gifts.

Scented candles are gradually becoming more popular. Ngọc Mỹ from Ctus Candle, a scented candle shop on Thợ Nhuộm street, Hà Nội, said that in the days approaching International Women’s Day, the shop saw an increase of about 30 per cent in the number of customers. This year, the shop has gift sets with prices from VNĐ214,500 to VNĐ544,500 per set.

Meanwhile, Mạnh Kiên in Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội, has bought a massage mattress costing about VNĐ2 million as a gift for his mother.

“At my mother's age, she needs a regular relaxing massage. Therefore, I think this is a practical gift, showing my care to her," Kiên said. — VNS