Customers shop at a supermarket. Mobile phone sales, which did not see the usual spike during last month’s festive season, seem set to surge in the run-up to Lunar New Year. — Photo dantri.com.vn

Mobile phone sales, which did not see the usual spike during last month’s festive season, seem set to surge in the run-up to Lunar New Year.

“During Christmas and Western New Year, sales remained the same as in previous months, but the situation has improved and we expect sales to double from now through Lunar New Year,” Doan Van Hieu Em, mobile phone director of The Gioi Di Dong, was quoted as saying in the Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) newspaper.

Mai Trieu Nguyen of Mai Nguyen in HCM City said December was for long the best month for mobile phone sales.

“This year December sales were not high because the market did not have any striking product.

“Besides, this year the western and Lunar New Year are so close to each other, and people were preoccupied with wrapping up their work that sales of everything, including mobile phones, were at a standstill.”

According to FPT Shop, Iphone 7 and Iphone 7 Plus are the two top selling products followed by Galaxy J5 Prime.

Iphones are also the bestsellers in smaller stores.

At The Gioi Di Dong, the country’s largest telephone retailer, used Iphones top sales in terms of numbers though in terms of turnover Galaxy J7 Prime and Oppo F1s account for 60 per cent.

At Di Dong Viet, Iphones, Galaxy J7 Prime and Oppo F1s top sales while other brands are not in great demand.

Refurbished and second-hand Iphones at good prices are in demand this season. A used Iphone 6 Plus 64 GB is offered at VND8.8 million (around US$400), a price at which customers cannot get a luxury phone.

Nguyen warned: “Customers should be careful when buying secondhand products. They should choose prestigious shops and check the product carefully before buying.” – VNS