Selling green products from home

Apple's resilient iPhone sales and Samsung's dominance amidst declining market According to Counterpoint Research, the smartphone market has been impacted by the recent economic difficulties. The report indicates that amidst challenging business conditions, retailers have had to revise their expansion plans and reassess their business strategies. Retail stores have reduced operating hours and lowered salaries due to the reduction in customers since the Lunar New Year. Initially, original equipment manufacturers misjudged the demand, resulting in high inventory levels. Subsequently, realising the actual situation, they rushed to offer discounts to clear the excess stock. All phone manufacturers, except for Apple, experienced a decline in sales in Q1. Glen Cardoza, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research stated, "The recovery of smartphone demand in Vietnam is expected to be slow in the second quarter of 2023 and will require time while the economy continues to face numerous … [Read more...] about Apple’s resilient iPhone sales and Samsung’s dominance amidst declining market

Living in Vietnam can bring moments of total pleasure and those of total wonder. When is a hot dog not a hot dog? Well, that answer came to me through experience some 10 years ago when I began my teaching career here in Vietnam. It was only weeks after I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to start a new life journey and I had already experienced my first episode of 'Vietnam Belly.' I wasn’t feeling all that great and I found that the local food and cheap beer just weren’t what my body wanted. I met a fellow Australian expat who introduced me to his employer – a major name in Vietnam’s teaching industry. Despite my unreliable health, I interviewed with the company. I was just hoping things would hold themselves together long enough to get the job, and they did. When I found out I got the job, my only thoughts were about how much I hoped I would be able to recover by the time I started classes. Early the next morning, my phone rang. It was the school asking if I could cover a class … [Read more...] about A hot dog that isn’t a hot dog in Vietnam

Being one of the best-loved railways in Southeast Asia, Vietnam's North-South Railway, with two ends at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, attracts many travelers. Lonely Planet, the world-renowned travel guide, named Vietnam National Railway the most incredible rail trip in the world. The 1,730-kilometer journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City offers breathtaking views of the country's diverse landscapes, making it a must-see for foreigners coming to Vietnam, the magazine said. "Some railways rattle through historic cities; others swoosh beside spectacular coastlines. A few have an epic history, and one or two are remarkable for the colorful characters onboard. The Reunification Express line, known as the North–South Railway, fulfills all these criteria," it stated. The railway is one of Southeast Asia's best-loved railways and the world's most epic overnight train journeys. It's also one of Vietnam's tourism highlights that attracts many international visitors. … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Reunification Express named world’s most incredible rail journey: Lonely Planet

Latest figures from the central bank show that in late February the on-balance sheet non-performing ratio of the banking system stood at 2.91 per cent, an increase compared to 2.46 per cent in late 2016, 1.49 per cent in late 2021 and most recently, 2 per cent in late 2022. However, according to a State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) assessment, several sorts of debts have the potential to be turned into bad debts in the future, such as investment into corporate bonds for debt restructuring, hard-to-collect receivables, among others. “If such debts were considered, the non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio of the system might reach 5 per cent of total outstanding balances,” said SBV Governor Nguyen Thi Hong. One positive point is that credit institutions have been taking practical measures to ensure operational safety through boosting their loan loss reserve (LLR) funds for their bad debts . Accordingly, credit institutions have maintained a fairly high LLR ratio approximating … [Read more...] about How bad debts influence lending rates