Walk into one of the six Parkson shopping centers in Saigon, and it’s likely you’ll be one of a few people walking through a deserted shrine to commerce.
Many vendors claim the situation, characterized by small profits, is no longer viable and are looking for other options due to the nonexistent business in recent months, according to DTI News.
Rental fees for some of the shops run around $1300 per month, and with sales sometimes amounting to two pairs of shoes per week for some stores, the balance simply isn’t there.
Parkson has restaurants and cinemas, but these destinations seem to be the only outlets that have any draw with customers seemingly bypassing the shopping mall altogether for the dining and entertainment destinations.
Parkson has fared even worse in Hanoi where its Landmark shopping center shut down on January 2nd after three years of operation, citing unsatisfactory business results. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar fate for the company's Saigon outlets unless the situation is radically reversed.
[DTI News]
