Vietnam book buyers stick to tradition
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Though 30 percent of Vietnamese, or 26 million people, use the internet, online booksellers have a long way to go to catch up with traditional bookshops.
The latter reported total revenues of more than VND2 trillion (US$100 million) in 2009, while the former managed a mere 1-2 percent of that figure.
One shop alone, the Fahasa chain, accounted for 50 percent of sales by bookshops.
Analysts said their competitive pricing policy is helping traditional bookstores remain ahead of web-based sellers.
Shops in downtown Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi regularly offer 20-30 percent discounts, while online sellers occasionally release a few promotional packs.
“With online sellers, I can sit at home and surf websites to choose books I like,” said Nguyen Thi Minh Trang, a HCMC-based high school teacher.
“I can also easily find books published a long time ago. However, the shipping fees of some stores are very high.
“Visiting bookstores gives me the joy of turning pages in a book. It also teaches children the joy of reading books.”
Efforts to compete with brick and mortar shops saw leading online stores offer promotional packs, freebies, and free shipping at the end of the year.
www.Tiki.vn and www.nhasachphuongnam.com announced a drawing contest with high-tech products, including iPad and Kindle, as prizes.
The former also offered a 20 percent discount to customers paying in advance for some new books and free leaf-shaped bookmarks to everyone buying for VND200,000 ($10) or more.
There are 20 web-based bookshops in the country though some bookstores and publishing houses also plan to expand into the online space. They include Fahasa Corp., Youth Publishing House, Alphabooks, Thai Ha Books, and Chibooks.
Vietnam’s eCommerce revenues are likely to reach VND2 billion in 2012, Nguyen Hoa Binh, general director of software developer Peacesoft, told TuoiTre.
