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Low-cost laptops selling well
Laptops with the sale prices of VND10-15mil/unit ($625-937), the high-technology products, are still selling very well despite the high inflation.
Retail shops and computer centres in Hanoi are very busy these days as they are receiving a lot of people looking for laptops.
Pham Thanh Nam, a salesman at Anh Nghia Computer Supermart on Thai Ha street in Hanoi, said that on peak days, the supermart can sell 20 laptops. Sales this month are expected to increase by 300% over previous months, when only 100 units were sold.
Pham Hong Minh, who is in charge of IT sales at PiCo Plaza, also said that business has been very satisfactory since the beginning of the year. Minh said that sales of laptops have increased by 50%, far exceeding sales in previous years. Previously, only 200 units were sold a month, while the figure now is 300 units a month.
Other computer trading companies, including Bach Phuong, Nguyen Boi and Phuc Anh, have reported the increase of 20% in sales.
Bach Phuong, for example, sells 420 units a month (the figure was 350 units a month last year), meaning the growth rate of 17% in sales, which is really a dream for many retailers.
Several years ago, people dared not dream of having a laptop, while nowadays, a lot of them can own laptops as their prices have become softer.
Selling at VND8-13mil/unit, laptops with the brand names of HP, Lenovo, Toshiba and Asus, have become the favourite choice of many people. Even Sony Vaio, which is a trademark for high-quality products, is also trying to launch products with more moderate prices.
CR 220 of the manufacturer, which had the sale price of $1,400/unit earlier this year, now is selling at $1,200/unit, while the series of products like CR 120, CR 320, NR 185 are selling at $800-900/unit only.
Businessmen say the laptop will become even more popular in Vietnam, like the mobile phone.
Anh Nghia Computer Supermart said that in previous years, the ratio of laptops to computers sold was 50:50, but nowadays, the ratio is 60:40.
Pham Thanh Nam said that the robust sales of laptops explains why there were only tens of computer retailers last year and there are hundreds this year.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Boi Company, specialising in laptops, said that the number of retailers has increased by 10%.
The fierce competition among the providers has certainly benefited customers. Previously, traders could get the profit of $100 per unit sold, while they accept $20-30 per unit nowadays.
VNN
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