Enterprises, shops and supermarts have opened again after a long Tet holiday with optimism for prosperous business in 2009, though they have been warned about big difficulties.

Shops and supermarts in HCM City opened again on the days between the 2nd and 6th of Lunar New Year, which were considered the lucky days of the year. Trade activities have returned to normal.

Tax trade centre, run by Saigon Trade Corporation (Satra) in the centre of the district 1, HCM City is crowded these days. Vu Duong Quan, Deputy Head of Tax Centre, said that sales on the 5th day of Lunar New Year were nearly equal to the sales of an ordinary day.

Co-op Mart chain has also opened again, though the number of buyers remains modest.

Le Nguyen Thanh Nhan, the owner of a fashion shop on Le Thanh Ton street in district 1, HCM City, said that his shop opened on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. The interior decoration products, jewellery, handbag and fine arts shops, next to Nhan’s shop, have also resumed operations.

Real estate traders seem to be returning to their business later than other businessmen. Only several branches on Tran Nao street, which is called the ‘real estate area’, had opened by the 6th day of the Lunar New Year. The staffs of the branches do not have much work to do; people do not make house purchases in the first month of the lunar year.

Quan said that he is not too worried about business in 2009. Last year, despite the economic crisis, Tax still got targeted turnover and profit. He said that most clients of Tax are foreigners and local residents in district 1, who are high-income earners. Therefore, the economic crisis did not much affect Tax’s sales.

Nguyen Tien Sy, Public Relation Staff of Jestar Pacific, a budget airline, said that domestic flights of the air carrier are fully booked.

Sy said that people have not reduced travelling just because of economic difficulties. They are even trying to travel more to promote investment and trade. And in order to save costs, they are flying with budget airlines.

Producers and exporters seem to be more pessimistic, but they hope the situation will improve by the end of 2009.

Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Deputy Chairman of the HCM City Leather and Footwer Association, said that 2009 will be a challenging year for footwear, apparel, seafood and processed food exports. At a meeting between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and representatives of garment companies, the companies warned that the targeted $9.5bil worth of apparel exports in 2009 was too ambitious.

However, Khanh still can see high hopes for Vietnam’s footwear industry. China-made shoes have been refused by US importers due to unsatisfactory quality.

“It is expected that the world’s economy will recover in the fourth quarter of the year. Therefore, enterprises need to be well prepared for when the economy recovers,” he said. (VNN)