Parents look at books and stationery at the 2019 “Back-to-School” Book Fair at FAHASA Tân Phú Book Store. — VNS Photo by Phương Mai

By Phương Mai

HCM CITY  With only two weeks before the new school year, students and their parents are rushing to purchase new clothes and supplies.

Nguyễn Thanh Thủy of HCM City recently took her 10-year-old boy to FAHASA Tân Phú Book Store in Tân Phú District where a “Back-to-School” Book Fair was taking place.

“The store is huge and has everything we need. I’m lucky that there's a sales programme today,” Thủy said, adding that she was excited to buy books, stationery and backpacks at bargain prices.

Huỳnh Thị Minh Châu, from the HCM City Book Distribution Corp (FAHASA), the fair’s organiser, said: “The Back-to-School Book Fair is the company’s annual event to serve students and to satisfy readers, especially children in rural areas.”

The fair offers more than 10,000 copies of books from 80 local and international publishers and distributors. Most of them are textbooks, reference books, English-language dictionaries and children’s books.

Publications of literature, history, culture and comics by Việt Nam’s leading publishing houses like Trẻ, Kim Đồng and Nhã Nam are also available. Best-selling titles by Vietnamese authors like Nguyễn Nhật Ánh are included.

Books are selling at discounts of up to 50 per cent. The event also offers a 10-50 per cent discount for 30,000 stationery items, backpacks and textbooks from popular local and foreign manufacturers Thiên Long, Hồng Hà, Artline, Maped and Steadler, among others.

A series of talks with famous authors such as Hamlet Trương, Lý Thành Cơ, Hồng Trân, and Anh Anh Khang will be organised at the bookstore.

The organiser has worked with its partners, Hoa Học Trò Weekly Magazine and the HCM City branch of Hồ Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, to donate a library worth of books valued at VNĐ40 million (US$1,720) to needy children in Bình Phước Province.

Leading supermarket chains including Co.opMart and Big C are offering huge discounts for school items.

Co.opMart is launching a discount of up to 25 per cent on uniforms, shoes, bags, and stationery from local brands.

Uniforms from brands Coop Select, Hải Thi and Sanding are priced at VNĐ57,900-199,000 ($2.5-8.6) per shirt, VNĐ66,900-239,000 ($2.9-10.3) per trousers, and VNĐ129,000-274,000 ($5.5-11.8) per dress.

Bags from Mr Vui and Miti brands are selling for VNĐ259,000-620,000 ($11-26.7).

Big C is also offering a 25-30 per cent discount for notebooks, pens, and backpacks.

Trần Minh Ngọc, a mother of a seven-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl from Đồng Nai Province, said: “This year, there is a lot of different kinds of clothing and stationery. With the discounts, I think the prices are reasonable.”

Meanwhile, leading electronic store chains like FPT Shop and VinPro are offering large discounts on laptops and electronic devices to serve freshmen at universities.

Freshmen can enjoy a discount up to 28 per cent for laptops from brands Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo and Masstel at the FPT Shop chain.

Vinpro is offering a laptop for students at prices starting at VNĐ8 million ($343), along with cellphones and other accessories at bargain prices. — VNS