SHOPPING IN HO CHI MINH CITY – WHAT AND WHERE TO BUY

Clothes

Vietnam is a manufacturing country, so imitations of brand name clothes are often cheaper than the suggested retail price. It is easy for you to find both high end brand clothing and mall brands such as Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters and more. Locals and many foreign tourists like to shop for clothes at the stores along Nguyen Trai Street and at Saigon Square. Remember that there are two different locations for Saigon Square with similar items sold out but Saigon Square 2, the new location is cooler and more spacious than the original one.

Shoes

Ho Chi Minh city has two streets dedicated entirely to shoes and you will find imitations of brand name shoes like the case with clothes, but be careful with the quality of the items because they might wear out or tear very quickly. There are a series of shoe shops in Ly Chinh Thang street displaying and selling shoes in different sizes and styles while the shops on the street just outside of Ben Thanh market and one block away from Le Loi street have larger sizes but the prices are a little higher.

Handbags and luggages

You are strongly recommended to visit Le Lai street between New World hotel and Ben Than market if you need to buy handbags or luggage. The shops have the most well known brand names like North Face, Samsonite and so on. You could also choose from a wide range of models and styles the ones suiting you at some places from Sai Gon Square to Binh Tay market in Cho Lon.

Handicrafts

Vietnam is famous for its unique and special handicrafts such as lacquerware and coconut dinnerware. If you like fabrics, you could buy pathwork or threadwork embroidery. For wood items, handcrafted wooden boats and figurines might interest you. The best place to go shopping is An Dong plaza near Cho Lon in China town and Ben Than market for fabric and wood crafts.