Stationery Store(s)

It is not a stationery store but the best source that I have found in HCMC for textbooks and similar materials is Nhà Sách Đại Trường Phát.  It is located at 207/6  Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao Ward, D 1, Hồ Chí Minh.  It carries almost every ESL textbook that you are likely to use while in Vietnam including specialty books like business English.  They supply government schools and many private centers.  If they supply your employer, you can ask for a discount.  If you teach private lessons at home you can pick up textbooks for your students and then run them into your local photocopy shop.  Yes photocopies books are probably illegal even in Vietnam but it is hard to swim against the stream.  In addition to textbooks on the 1st level, Đại Trường Phát carries English books for teens and games on ground level and adult books on the 2nd.  I confess that I never went up to the top floor.  Website is  http://www.daitruongphat.com/  It is in Vietnamese but you can find your way around in it.  Kho Sách is the bookstore section.   They have a subsection called Adult but it is not what that means in the west.   

As far as items like printer paper, pens, batteries and so on, I always just went to the tiny corner stationery store near my home which seemed to meet my needs.  I got so tired of finding dry whiteboard markers in classrooms that I simply bought my own set.  You would be surprised what they cram into these little shops.

Thanks! I'm not really looking for textbooks right now, but it's good to know, especially about the games. 

And yeah, I've been to a few corner stores, but it would be great if there was just a big dedicated store somewhere. The little shops are just so unreliable and so frustrating! Maybe I'm asking too much...

Hello KingJ,
Maybe I can help you, I am local, living in Hochiminh City, my major is not purchasing and dealing with vendor but I have some knowledge about it as well as I can help you in negotiation and communication in Vietnamese. Be sure I am not vedor supplier or advertising.
My email: xxx

Dear KingJ,

Hope you this message will find you well.

Have you found what you are looking for yet?     I think I get what you mean re 'stationery', it must be kind of educational tools/ equipments. In Viet Nam, we have a place which can be a dedicated store like what you indicated in your post, it is called: Vietnam Education Publishing House.

http://www.stb.com.vn/en/van-phong-pham.html
(van phong pham = stationary)

Address: Số 223 Nguyễn Tri Phương, Phường 9, Quận 5, TP.HCM. (I do not think I need to translate it  )

Time Working
Monday - Saturday
AM: 8h00 - 12h00
Afternoon: 13h30 - 17h30
Sunday: Morning: 08h00-12h00
(no. 223 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Ward 09, District 05, HCMC  )

Guess you are a teacher (?). Well, I and my sister often visited that store to buy/ check out educational things when she was a pedagogy student and I was a pupil. It has been along time ago, but this store is still available at the same place with more updated supplies I think. I mean it developed well so you can rely on it.

I can be sure it is a right place for teaching resource, but "interesting teaching resource", I am not sure.

Reason: because, you know, although it is much improved nowaday, the Vietnamese educational style is still quite different from the Western education style especially foreign languages. So please not be surprised while there is a stationary available in your country but not in our country, specifically in Sai Gon.

Other bookshops where has stationeries for your ref.: Ca Chep (opened recently, Vo Van Tan Street), Minh Khai (Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street), Xuan Thu (Tran Hung Dao street), etc.

Hope you will find this one is resourceful, helpful, and good luck for your search.

Kind regards,

Nga

Ps.: humble additional idea: if you can not find it, let make it if you are able to do (buy materials and make it to support your teaching...)

The above is an excellent post and an example of a local person providing sincere assistance for foreigners.  I was unsure when she said "we have a place" but as I read on it was clear that she was recommending the store as a customer.  Even if she were an employee or manager there and cleverly disguised her post, it is still worthwhile.

Thank you THIGV for your comment. I have no business there. I use "we", I mean we- Vietnamese people in Viet Nam. My apology if I made you confused. I should read more to learn how to write English in Western style in order not to make a kind of mistake like that.

I have been blessed to work with expats from many countries: UK, Germany, US, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Holland,  Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, etc. Sometimes, those of my foreign colleagues/ bosses and sometimes, friends, shared with me their unhappy experiences in things in Viet Nam, I felt so sorry for them. Therefore, I would like to support within my ability.