I miss Target, Walmart and Walgreens

yamcha wrote:

The thing I miss most back home is convenience and selection.  This is a great country for sure and I love a lot about it but when I need to buy 5 different things I have to go to 5 different places in 5 different districts.  JESUS!

You listed this under the general Vietnam forum, so I can't tell your location.

However, Hanoi and Danang have Lottemart which should cover most of your needs.

In the Danang store (my location) there is also a pharmacy vendor.

Also here in Danang is Mega Market and a place I've never been, called "Big C".

At Vincom Plaza here, there is a very large Vinmart with everything except pharmacy.

I hear the shopping opportunities are best (more western brands) in HCMC, but that's heresay.

Yeah, you won't get the selection or the same goods even in equivalent brand department stores here. You really have to be resourceful and use all possible outlets to maximize on your shopping.

yamcha wrote:

when I need to buy 5 different things I have to go to 5 different places in 5 different districts.  JESUS!

It's the same in quite a few European countries.  When we lived in Italy, I shopped the way the majority of Italian women did:  vegetables and fruits at the outdoor market, bread at the bakery, wine at the wine shop, meat at the butcher, cheese and pasta at the alimentary -- and we all did this every morning.  We did the same in Spain and France.  For everything else I needed, it's certain shop for certain thing, and I also had to watch the stores' hours.  All stores in the city were closed early on Sat, all day on Sun, plus Mon morning, as well as 3 hours in the middle of the day for siesta.  Convenience for customers?  I was taught that store owners and store clerks also had their lives to live.

Thanks, Ocean Beach.

I live in Saigon and I know all of the places you mention but the selection and variety are just so limited.  Like I wanted to buy a set of measuring spoons and the only place that had them was a bakery supply shop in D3 and I was lucky that they had them in imperial units instead of metric.

You can buy from Amazon for selected items. Set your "ship to" option to Vietnam and it will tell you if the item is available from Amazon.

Jim-Minh wrote:

You can buy from Amazon for selected items. Set your "ship to" option to Vietnam and it will tell you if the item is available from Amazon.

That's ok if it's just once in a while. I waste enough money on shipping stuff in though, it's much more practical to get it in-country.

Yeah, the shipping might be more than the item itself.

yamcha wrote:

Yeah, the shipping might be more than the item itself.

do you know the 2 x western stuff shops beside Bitexco tower. They look small but are like Pandora's Box. Go inside they are amazing on 4 floors & have everything you cant get in the local supermarkets. I try to do a bit of baking & like tried for months to get some basic stuff like cookie cutters, baking powder etc. Went in there on the total off chance & low & behold they had like everything for baking on the 4th floor & wait for it, their prices are not expensive & sometimes less than the supermarkets!
Local supermarkets I sort of like the one that used to be called Maxi Mark (forget the name now) & AEON Mall Tan Phu

yamcha wrote:

Yeah, the shipping might be more than the item itself.

If you can't get it any other way, the shipping is worth it.

THANK YOU!!!

My son-in-law has a new baby and we send baby formula that's guaranteed not to be powdered melamine every two months. The cost is reasonable and we can ship anything reasonable to any population center in Vietnam with a minimum of hassle.

My point? - If you can't find it in Vietnam, find it online and work with someone in America to get it to Vietnam. The overall price penalty may not be all that high and you have access to almost any product in the world if you have someone you can work with.

n1tw1t wrote:

yamcha wrote:

Yeah, the shipping might be more than the item itself.

do you know the 2 x western stuff shops beside Bitexco tower. They look small but are like Pandora's Box. Go inside they are amazing on 4 floors & have everything you cant get in the local supermarkets. I try to do a bit of baking & like tried for months to get some basic stuff like cookie cutters, baking powder etc. Went in there on the total off chance & low & behold they had like everything for baking on the 4th floor & wait for it, their prices are not expensive & sometimes less than the supermarkets!
Local supermarkets I sort of like the one that used to be called Maxi Mark (forget the name now) & AEON Mall Tan Phu

What are those two shops called? Got a Google Maps link maybe?

wildwildwest wrote:

n1tw1t wrote:

yamcha wrote:

Yeah, the shipping might be more than the item itself.

do you know the 2 x western stuff shops beside Bitexco tower. They look small but are like Pandora's Box. Go inside they are amazing on 4 floors & have everything you cant get in the local supermarkets. I try to do a bit of baking & like tried for months to get some basic stuff like cookie cutters, baking powder etc. Went in there on the total off chance & low & behold they had like everything for baking on the 4th floor & wait for it, their prices are not expensive & sometimes less than the supermarkets!
Local supermarkets I sort of like the one that used to be called Maxi Mark (forget the name now) & AEON Mall Tan Phu

What are those two shops called? Got a Google Maps link maybe?

Phuong Ha at 58 Ham Nghi Street, D1 and there is another one right next door.

I've found a few things on the online retailer Lazada I couldn't find in local stores. A bathrobe and some storage/organization things. Quality is a little hit or miss but delivery is fast and it's pretty cheap!

flashylawnmower wrote:

I've found a few things on the online retailer Lazada I couldn't find in local stores. A bathrobe and some storage/organization things. Quality is a little hit or miss but delivery is fast and it's pretty cheap!

Great name......flashylawnmower

colinoscapee wrote:

Phuong Ha at 58 Ham Nghi Street, D1 and there is another one right next door.

Among other things, I buy foreign black chocolate there.

Unfortunately, due to the heat and wrong storage, the chocolate has turned light brown (a little melted on the outside), which has a negative effect on the taste.

I would think that other products also lose quality because of the heat.

Andy Passenger wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Phuong Ha at 58 Ham Nghi Street, D1 and there is another one right next door.

Among other things, I buy foreign black chocolate there.

Unfortunately, due to the heat and wrong storage, the chocolate has turned light brown (a little melted on the outside), which has a negative effect on the taste.

I would think that other products also lose quality because of the heat.

I've been surprised that's still a problem here.

I got a couple bad bars of Lindt dark chocolate at an independent quick market here.

I've learned to get that from Vinmart, where the stock is apparently rotated more frequently.

Back in the 70's, all chocolate we got here was as you described, even worse.

My mother sent me a care package once, and the humidity and heat had spoiled almost everything, including a stick of Gallo dried salami.

Only the Hunts pudding cups survived shipping.

I'm sure other forum members remember ration supplement packs (SP packs) and the free stale cigarettes...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Andy Passenger wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Phuong Ha at 58 Ham Nghi Street, D1 and there is another one right next door.

Among other things, I buy foreign black chocolate there.

Unfortunately, due to the heat and wrong storage, the chocolate has turned light brown (a little melted on the outside), which has a negative effect on the taste.

I would think that other products also lose quality because of the heat.

I've been surprised that's still a problem here.

I got a couple bad bars of Lindt dark chocolate at an independent quick market here.

I've learned to get that from Vinmart, where the stock is apparently rotated more frequently.

Back in the 70's, all chocolate we got here was as you described, even worse.

My mother sent me a care package once, and the humidity and heat had spoiled almost everything, including a stick of Gallo dried salami.

Only the Hunts pudding cups survived shipping.

I'm sure other forum members remember ration supplement packs (SP packs) and the free stale cigarettes...

At Annam Gourmet Market, the chocolate is impeccable, but a lot more expensive.
Next time I'll look at Vinmart.

Has nobody heard of MM Mega Market?

It's literally Vietnam's answer to  Walmart. Anything you want, it's in there. Well, almost anything.

http://mmvietnam.com/

1312j wrote:

Has nobody heard of MM Mega Market?

It's literally Vietnam's answer to  Walmart. Anything you want, it's in there. Well, almost anything.

http://mmvietnam.com/

But there is no big different to a big BigC.

Andy Passenger wrote:

1312j wrote:

Has nobody heard of MM Mega Market?

It's literally Vietnam's answer to  Walmart. Anything you want, it's in there. Well, almost anything.

http://mmvietnam.com/

But there is no big different to a big BigC.

Always found you get much more variety in MM, after all Mega is better than Big!

Ciambella wrote:

yamcha wrote:

when I need to buy 5 different things I have to go to 5 different places in 5 different districts.  JESUS!

It's the same in quite a few European countries.  When we lived in Italy, I shopped the way the majority of Italian women did:  vegetables and fruits at the outdoor market, bread at the bakery, wine at the wine shop, meat at the butcher, cheese and pasta at the alimentary -- and we all did this every morning.  We did the same in Spain and France.  For everything else I needed, it's certain shop for certain thing, and I also had to watch the stores' hours.  All stores in the city were closed early on Sat, all day on Sun, plus Mon morning, as well as 3 hours in the middle of the day for siesta.  Convenience for customers?  I was taught that store owners and store clerks also had their lives to live.

Which is one of the reasons I love Europe.
And in the days before ATM's, remembering to change money for the weekend by 3 p.m. Friday was crucial.

colinoscapee wrote:

wildwildwest wrote:

n1tw1t wrote:

do you know the 2 x western stuff shops beside Bitexco tower. They look small but are like Pandora's Box. Go inside they are amazing on 4 floors & have everything you cant get in the local supermarkets. I try to do a bit of baking & like tried for months to get some basic stuff like cookie cutters, baking powder etc. Went in there on the total off chance & low & behold they had like everything for baking on the 4th floor & wait for it, their prices are not expensive & sometimes less than the supermarkets!
Local supermarkets I sort of like the one that used to be called Maxi Mark (forget the name now) & AEON Mall Tan Phu

What are those two shops called? Got a Google Maps link maybe?

Phuong Ha at 58 Ham Nghi Street, D1 and there is another one right next door.

Ah yeah, I know those two. I thought you were referring to some place else since you mentioned 4 floors...

Andy Passenger wrote:

1312j wrote:

Has nobody heard of MM Mega Market?

It's literally Vietnam's answer to  Walmart. Anything you want, it's in there. Well, almost anything.

http://mmvietnam.com/

But there is no big different to a big BigC.

Actually,  Big C is pretty limited, Mega is only marginally better, so I don't bother with those two anymore.
A large Co-op Mart will have all the same basics at better prices.

If i want the best selection of western and Korean foods,  it's Lotte in D7. The other Lotte's have less Korean and western things.

For Japanese foods and a very good Vietnamese supermarket is Aeon in Binh Tan.
In the same mall is a good Japanese hardware and tool store.  (Name starts with a K on the east side of the mall)
The closest i've seen to an Ace hardware, though prices are much higher than in a little Vietnamese hardware store, but it's the best place to browse hardware in HCMC.

wildwildwest wrote:

Ah yeah, I know those two. I thought you were referring to some place else since you mentioned 4 floors...

Now we understand your username. 

With respect to the OP, I never have a problem finding anything we need.  Big C and Lotte Mart are not CostCo, but they have pretty much what you need from fresh food, frozen food, junk food, clothes, appliances, electronics, household items etc.  Not sure what you guys are not finding.  Granted, you might not find the brand name your looking for, but we have not gone without. 

The only place I have seen that is similar to CostCo. where items are sold in bulk is Metro.  However, even in the USA, we never shop at Walgreens or Target and rarely at Walmart.  90% plus of our grocery items are shipped directly to our home from local farms. 

The only item I can think of that I could not find in VN is peanut butter.  Yes, a necessity!

vndreamer wrote:

wildwildwest wrote:

Ah yeah, I know those two. I thought you were referring to some place else since you mentioned 4 floors...

Now we understand your username. 

With respect to the OP, I never have a problem finding anything we need.  Big C and Lotte Mart are not CostCo, but they have pretty much what you need from fresh food, frozen food, junk food, clothes, appliances, electronics, household items etc.  Not sure what you guys are not finding.  Granted, you might not find the brand name your looking for, but we have not gone without. 

The only place I have seen that is similar to CostCo. where items are sold in bulk is Metro.  However, even in the USA, we never shop at Walgreens or Target and rarely at Walmart.  90% plus of our grocery items are shipped directly to our home from local farms. 

The only item I can think of that I could not find in VN is peanut butter.  Yes, a necessity!

Metro is now called Mega Mart. Peanut butter can be found at Coop Mart.

yamcha wrote:

The thing I miss most back home is convenience and selection.  This is a great country for sure and I love a lot about it but when I need to buy 5 different things I have to go to 5 different places in 5 different districts.  JESUS!

Surprise, Vietnam isn't the Great Consumer Shopping Society like the US 

Vive la différence! 

Confession: I take an empty suitcase on trips to the states and load up on Amazon.

gobot wrote:

Confession: I take an empty suitcase on trips to the states and load up on Amazon.

I've learned from Vietnamese and Filipinos everywhere, I used boxes.  A Home Depot heavy duty medium size box costs $2.50, weighs 2.5 lb (I mistyped in another thread when I wrote half a pound) while my lightest 30" suitcase weighs 11 lbs. 

We flew without luggage on the way to the States.  On the way back, we had 5 boxes of 50 lbs each -- 4 were free, the 5th cost us $118.40.  Now we have enough of everything to last us several years.

I wanted to go buy spices like whole cloves and star anise and had to go kind of far to a Chinese herbal store.  I would think that since they use so many of these herbs in their cooking that I would have been available in any market or wet market.

Ciambella wrote:

I've learned from Vietnamese and Filipinos everywhere, I used boxes.  A Home Depot heavy duty medium size box costs $2.50, weighs 2.5 lb (I mistyped in another thread when I wrote half a pound) while my lightest 30" suitcase weighs 11 lbs.

I use Rubbermaid Brute 20 gallon containers. They are tough as a boot and are exactly the right size to qualify for airline luggage. The airline luggage spec is 62" (L+H+W) and the Brute comes in at 61" plus a fraction.  I drill 6 holes through the lid (two on long edges and one on short) and secure the lid to the tub with zip ties. It's very secure. You don't have to worry about the cardboard ripping or about the tape coming loose - both of which I've seen. You can tape a good printed ID to every side. The containers stick out like a sore thumb on a baggage carousel and only weigh 7 pounds.

yamcha wrote:

I wanted to go buy spices like whole cloves and star anise and had to go kind of far to a Chinese herbal store.  I would think that since they use so many of these herbs in their cooking that I would have been available in any market or wet market.

They're available in all wet markets, at the stalls that sell spices (every wet market has at least one of such stalls).  Ask for đại hồi (or hoa hồi) and đinh hương.  My neighbourhood Lotte also carries them.

They both are used in phở so of course they're available everywhere.

Ciambella wrote:

They both are used in phở so of course they're available everywhere.

A similar comment about non-availability of certain spices came up here before.  It seems that often we westerners can't find certain spices because our familiarity with them is in the dried form while the fresh form is readily available in markets.  In fact spices were a big part of why first the Dutch and later the French came to Vietnam.  Fortunately for me, due to my familial position as food consumer rather than food producer, I only have to experience spices when they appear as part of whatever is on my plate or in my bowl.   

Ciambella wrote:

yamcha wrote:

I wanted to go buy spices like whole cloves and star anise and had to go kind of far to a Chinese herbal store.  I would think that since they use so many of these herbs in their cooking that I would have been available in any market or wet market.

They're available in all wet markets, at the stalls that sell spices (every wet market has at least one of such stalls).  Ask for đại hồi (or hoa hồi) and đinh hương.  My neighbourhood Lotte also carries them.

They both are used in phở so of course they're available everywhere.

Hey thanks. Yes I was assuming the same thing since there are a lot of these spices in Vietnamese food but when I went to the market they didn't have it. The closest thing they had was five spice powder. However interesting you know if they did have dark and light soy sauce from Lee Kum kee.

What does "wet market" mean?

Street market.

I see, as opposed to something like Ben Thanh?

That is actually the biggest what market in Saigon.

I think the term is used to distinguish wet markets from western style grocery stores but also from dry goods markets that sell things like shoes and textiles.  Fresh unpackaged meats and fish are sold in these markets, often on reed mats, and the floors need to be washed daily as a result.  The wet market may be only a portion of a larger market like Ben Thanh.