Hanoi’s toy sellers are struggling to survive the resurgence of Covid-19 which might play out in June – the international children’s month.

Toys for sale on Hang Ma street. Photo: Kinhtedothi

According to owners of some toy stores on the streets of Hang Ma and Luong Van Can, the largest toy market in Hanoi, at this time every year, the streets were crowded, contrary to the bleak scene of this year, when the number of customers has decreased by 30-40%.

Most shops are trying to liquidate their stock rather than ordering new products. Worse still, there are not many orders from schools to present year-end gifts to students, according to Tran Anh Mai, who owns a toy store.

On the other hand, people refrain from going out to avoid Covid-19 infection. Many parents choose to buy toys online, rather than taking their kids to go shopping as in previous years.

This year's toy prices remain almost unchanged compared to 2020, although production and transportation costs have increased.

Duc Tuan, a toy businessperson on Hang Ma street, said that smart toys like remote control cars, assembled robots, and legos are still top-selling items.

Currently, toys are priced from VND40,000 to VND300,000 (US$2-$13) per item. The most expensive are Lego sets, priced from VND300,000 to nearly VND3 million ($13-$130) each. Dolls for girls are priced VND150,000 to VND200,000 ($7-$9) a box.

At supermarkets such as Big C, Co.op Mart, and Vinmart, toys are not sold well. They have launched a series of promotions with discounts of up to 50% on toys and children's clothing, however, their efforts have been hampered by the pandemic.