Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, theprices of fresh flowers has risen sharply, pushing many buyers to pick morepractical gifts.

Da Lat roses cost about 40,000 VND per flower; while Ecuadorian roses cost from1.3 million VND to more than 2 million VND per bundle, while Ecuadorian rainbowroses cost 2.7 million VND per bundle of 14 flowers. Baby roses have a price ofbetween from 500,000-1 million VND per bunch depending on the size, reportedthe Vietnamplus e-newspaper.

Other flowers such as sunflowers and peonies are priced from 30,000-40,000 VND perflower. Orchids cost about 30,000-40,000 VND per branch.

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

However, the number of customers visiting fresh flower shops on streets in Hanoi,such as Tran Xuan Soan, Cau Giay and Luong Dinh Cua, has decreasedsignificantly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hoang Lan, the owner of Hoa Pho Shop on Tran Xuan Soan, said the fresh flowermarket this year is less busy with customer numbers falling by 10-20 percent.

“Most of the orders come from individuals, but there are not many orders fromagencies and offices due to the impact of the pandemic. However, the number ofcustomers is still higher than Valentine's Day on February 14. The price of aflower basket is from 300,000 VND to 500,000 VND per basket, those costing morethan a million dong are rarely ordered by customers,” Lan said.

Besides fresh flowers, soap roses with various colours such as red, blue andpurple are also popular with a price of about 20,000-25,000 VND per flower.

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

This year, many consumers tend to choose practical gifts.

Scented candles are gradually becoming more popular. Ngoc My from Ctus Candle,a scented candle shop on Tho Nhuom street, Hanoi, said that in the daysapproaching International Women’s Day, the shop saw an increase of about 30 percentin the number of customers. This year, the shop has gift sets with prices from 214,500VND to 544,500 VND per set.

Meanwhile, Mnh Kien in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, has bought a massage mattresscosting about 2 million VND as a gift for his mother.

“At my mother's age, she needs a regular relaxing massage. Therefore, I thinkthis is a practical gift, showing my care to her," Kien said./.