In my opinion, the cultural differences between the North and the South in
Vietnam greatly affect the behavior of consumers in Vietnam, because each
region has a different culture, so it affects the behavior of consumers. vi
consumers are also different, specifically as follows:
Southerners are more independent in shopping than Northerners.
According to research results from Nielsen Vietnam, the main difference
between consumers in the North and the South is their "individual" and "us"
tendencies.
The "individual" bias predominates in the South. Southerners pay little
attention to other people's opinions and when it comes to making consumption
decisions, they mainly rely on their own personal needs. Southerners are very
open-minded and very receptive to new things, products that suit their aesthetic
and needs will be accepted.
As for people in the North, the "we" tendency is dominating the market. This is
reflected in the characteristics of the homogeneity in consumption patterns and
the habit of gathering opinions from many sources such as friends, family and
relatives. Northern customers are often influenced by other people's opinions.
social prejudices. However, they are very complex consumers: their "me" is
always noticed and stands out in the crowd and friends, but they do not want to
break the rules of society. They want them to own outstanding products and
when others look at them, they will have to admire.
Research on FTA in May 2009 shows that people in the North are the most
careful and strict in choosing products. They may change their mind several
times before making a decision. They are also more influenced by other
people's opinions before making decisions (99% influenced by family
recommendations, 91% by friends, 94% by neighbours, 83% by colleagues).
and partners) and will never buy what others don't buy.
So the question is why is there such a difference between these two groups of
customers. What cultural traits have influenced their buying behavior? Reality
has shown that Southerners live more for themselves and don't care what others
think of them, they tend to live for the present without worrying much about
the future. The South is the intersection of many diverse and liberal cultures, so
they like to live comfortably and do what they like, buy what they want. A
prominent feature of consumers in the region is a hedonistic lifestyle, not
putting too much emphasis on savings and other people's feelings about them.
Therefore, consumers in the typical Ho Chi Minh City region are simple
customers, their loyalty is quite low and less affected by advertising. In
contrast, consumers in the North, typically Hanoi, tend to be influenced by
collective opinions and social prejudices because the ancient culture of the
Northern people is to live in the commune. Villagers, have a collective
lifestyle, so they not only live for themselves, but they also care about what
other people think of them, how they evaluate themselves about people or
about their family. Therefore, from the style of dress, personal belongings,
family, appearance, manners are very important things in the daily life as well
as the consumer culture of the Northern people.
Southerners live for the present, Northerners live for the future
"Northern people earn ten dong, they spend one dong. Southerners who earn
ten dong can spend eleven dong." This sentence seems to describe quite clearly
the consumption habits of the two regions. According to Nielsen's Personal
Finance Monitor, Southerners are willing to borrow from banks to meet their
consumption needs. At the same time, more than half (57%) of consumers will
not borrow from banks or other financial institutions for consumption. In the
eyes of Northerners, borrowing money or relying on an institution for finance
will make them "humiliating".
Southerners tend to shop quickly and spontaneously. Without self-affirmation,
psychological pressure to show class plus the habit of saving money to buy
expensive goods, they tend to buy cheaper items and shop more comfortably.
But only 62% plan to spend this month, not as nervous as northern consumers.
They prefer a fixed price to a bargain. 55% of consumers in the North like to
bargain, while 28% of consumers in the South prefer this form.
The North values appearance, the South prioritizes true values.
For consumers in the two regions, quality is always the first concern. However,
the definition of "quality" in the North and the South is also very different.
Despite the habit of thrift, people in the North are very fond of branded goods,
especially those that help them show off to outsiders. Not only to satisfy the
psychological importance of appearance, like to stand out from the crowd, but
also to think in the long run because they think buying a quality product will
save more money, research shows that people in the region Uncle is willing to
pay more to have a new product, they are very interested in the quality and
origin of the goods more than other places.
Meanwhile, Southerners often choose products based on the official experience
from the product that the product brings. Includes tangible and intangible
values. They care a lot about the quality of service as well as customer care
after buying. Just received a lack of respect from the seller, they will not want
to go back to that store.
