Children's toy stores and gift shops that started selling Halloween merchandise as early as mid-October in Ho Chi Minh City are enjoying their last busy days of sales as the Western tradition that has recently gained popularity in Vietnam is only a couple days away.

Halloween masks are the best-sellers, available at a price range from VND25,000 (US$1) to VND200,000 ($8) apiece, while robes fetch between VND80,000 ($3.44) and VND180,000 ($7.7) an item.

At a higher end, many parents have purchased get-ups of fictional characters such as Spider-Man, Elsa, or Superman with prices ranging from VND200,000 to VND600,000 ($25) for their children to attend Halloween festivals at school.

Many young office workers also adorn themselves with upbeat costumes in the spirit of Halloween at their workplace.

Prices of Halloween products did not fluctuate much this year, while their design and quality are both improved, which spurs sales significantly, according to a shopkeeper on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street in District 10.

Expensive ornaments such as jack-o’-lanterns or human statues that may escalate up to several million dong apiece still attract a good number of customers, mostly shop owners who want to make up their stores during Halloween, according to traders.

It appears that Chinese products entirely dominate the Halloween market in Ho Chi Minh City this year.

As online stores are growing more popular with local consumers, traditional gift shops are struggling to compete with their rivals.

“People have been shifting from buying eerie costumes to fancy and unique ornaments from online shops that have delivery services, making it hard for traditional shops to keep pace,” Hieu, a traditional shop owner on 3/2 Street in District 10, told Giao Duc (Education) newspaper.

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