Sales cycles

Vietnam Investment Review, September, 2004 by Ling Con Lai

I read recently that Daiei, Japan's largest retailer, is about to break up. Supposedly this king of one-stop shopping carries everything from household goods and clothing to groceries. Interesting to me is that in its struggle to survive, the American company Wal-Mart is looking to purchase Daiei and keep up the 200 outlets that are predominantly in the suburbs of Japan. 200 outlets! One-stop shopping! What convenience! And yet here in Hanoi, I am reminded of our own ever so convenient "Wal-mart on wheels", the lovely ladies who traipse up and down the streets with an entire plastic goods shop tied to their bicycles.

I love these women. On a regular basis they cycle by my house to see if I need anything. Anything from buckets to mops, colanders, water pitchers, toilet...