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Hanoi - The Moving Markets

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Why go to the shops, when the shops can come to you? That's what they do in Hanoi, and we're not talking mail order or advanced internet shopping. Susanne Mathiesen reports.

During the course of one day a well-stocked, walking supermarket goes through every street in Hanoi. The goods are transported by bamboo shoulder pole, bicycle or in the basket carried on the vendor's head. On a typical morning, the following goods may pass you by: shoes, lingerie, oranges, toilet paper, apples, coal, bread, vegetables, doormats, incense and votive paper offerings. Later, you�ll see people and bicycles overloaded with plastic wares, ceramics, duvets, eggs, flowers, rugs and bamboo blinds. You can't complain about the choice.

Many street traders walk the same route several times a day. Those with more specialized goods - like antlers or hat stands, for instance - have to cover a bigger area to find buyers, and therefore, pass less frequently. A bicycle increases turnover considerably, simply because vendors are able to reach more customers in less time.

Should you wish to buy from street trader, you simply shout: "Em oi!" (Hey you!) when the right goods come past. Bread is easy to buy, with a set price of VND1,000 (about US6 cents). For other goods you'll have to bargain.

The profit on bread is less than a penny. Average daily earnings for a street trader is VND25,000 (US$1,60). In comparison, a meal at a popular street stall costs around VND4,000.

Most of the street traders come from country districts around Hanoi, and street trading is a much needed supplement to their family's farming income. They sell what they produce on their own farms or in the way of hand-made crafts or they buy goods at night markets in the outskirts of Hanoi.

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