As the flower markets begin to thin out, these individuals remain quietly beside each tree, hoping to sell their remaining stock early enough to return home for New Year’s Eve with their families. Every unsold kumquat pot or peach branch represents a full year of labor under the sun and rain, a hope for a reward that might allow them to close the Tết season with a slightly lighter spirit.

With only hours remaining before the transition from 2025 to 2026, the mood among flower and ornamental plant sellers remains somber. Despite the festive atmosphere creeping into every street, the market remains stagnant with low demand and high input costs. After a year of meticulous care, sellers entered this season with high expectations, only to find a market where both prices and consumption are lower than anticipated.

In the area of Mường Thanh market within Điện Biên Phủ ward, the scene is particularly quiet for traders. Amidst her rows of kumquats, Nguyễn Thu Uyên remains busy inviting customers, yet worry is evident in her eyes as the clock ticks closer to midnight and many of her pots have yet to find an owner. This year, her family imported between 2,000 and 3,000 trees to serve the market. Large, well-shaped kumquats are priced between VND 8 million and VND 10 million per tree, while smaller desk versions range from VND 150,000 to VND 400,000. These prices, including those for kumquats in decorative ceramic jars ranging from VND 800,000 to VND 1.2 million, are noticeably lower than in previous years.

“The costs for stall rentals and transport this year have nearly doubled compared to last year, yet selling prices are down,” Uyên explained. “We are only hoping to sell enough to recover our capital and cover expenses; we are no longer expecting any profit from this Tết season.”

Watching the crowds pass by without stopping to buy, Uyên is already considering renting a truck to take the remaining plants back to her garden for next year’s harvest, as she refuses to “fire-sale” the result of a year’s hard work.

At the peach blossom stalls, the atmosphere is even more muted. Despite the beauty of the fading blossoms and the prestigious “Thất Thốn” variety, most people passing through Mường Thanh market are focusing on purchasing essential food items rather than ornamental flowers. Hoàng Lệ Thu, a grower from xã Thanh Nưa, sits beside her old, blooming peach roots and gazes at the inventory that has yet to move.

Thu shared that all these trees were grown by her own family, and while she sells every year, she has never experienced a season as difficult as this one. Prices have dropped by VND 500,000 to VND 1 million per tree compared to earlier weeks, yet the number of customers remains sparse. The rising overhead is her primary concern; transport costs have climbed from VND 200,000 to VND 300,000 per trip, and daily labor costs for tree maintenance have risen to VND 300,000 per person. Consequently, her family’s sales this year will barely cover the rent and labor, leaving no profit for their efforts.

As the final hours of 2025 slip away, many residents choose to wait until the last possible moment to buy, hoping for even “softer” prices. While this strategy benefits the consumer, it adds a layer of anxiety for the sellers. They remain at their posts, hoping for those late-hour customers to arrive so that their blooming trees can finally find a home before the new year begins.