DW, 17 Dec, 2012
A new middle class emerged for the first time in Vietnam in the 1990s. It has won a few freedoms, but remains fragile. Now, the global economic crisis threatens to undo the achievements.
“Supermarket, supermarket, supermarket” cries Mai Chi, the four-year-old daughter of Tuyen and Lien, as she bounces up and down on her parent’s bed. She can hardly wait to get going. Like many families in Vietnam’s new middle class, the Nguyens spend Sunday at the supermarket in Hanoi.
“Sunday is the only day the whole family can be together and do something,” says Tuyen. “I work 50 hours a week, and then there is the three-hour commute every day. So there is not much time. At the supermarket, children can play and parents can take care of some shopping.”
Emerging middle class
Supermarkets are a big draw for Vietnam’s middle class
The first supermarkets in Vietnam were so exclusive that only the rich could afford to shop there. Today, things are different because the government launched a reform program in 1986 under the motto “Doi Moi,” or renewal.
Read more: http://www.dw.de/vietnams-fragile-middle-class/a-16459275
