Overview of Tet 2026 Consumer Behavior
As Tet 2026 approaches, consumer sentiment is heavily influenced by financial fluctuations, rising living costs, and shifts in shopping habits. According to NielsenIQ’s Tet consumer behavior report, Vietnamese shoppers continue to maintain Tet spending, but with higher expectations for value, practicality, and emotional meaning. Key highlights include:
- More selective and value-driven spending: Consumers are reducing impulse purchases and prioritizing products that are truly “worth the budget.” This puts pressure on brands to demonstrate tangible value, rather than relying solely on emotional messaging.
- Focus on core needs: Three primary motivations drive Tet purchases: Gifting (76%), Worship & Decoration (69%), and Household Use (68%).
- Segmentation in purchase timing: As financial gaps across consumer groups widen, behaviors and expectations diversify. A single mass-market message is no longer effective. Tet shopping patterns show early preparation, but with notable differences between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
>>> Download the full NielsenIQ report here.
1. Financial Sentiment: Consumers Enter Q1’25 With Greater Caution
Data from Nielsen’s report reveals rising financial caution as consumers prepare for Tet—the peak spending period of the year. Key signals include:
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The “Unchanged” group decreased by 10 points (from 21% → 15%): Many consumers can no longer maintain previous spending levels, prompting behavioral adjustments.
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The “Cautious” group increased by 6 points (36% → 42%): Most consumers are not facing immediate financial difficulty but are proactively tightening spending due to concerns about the future.
Additionally, the report indicates that Tet food & grocery spending remains a significant financial burden, consistently ranking in the top three household cost pressures. Meanwhile, 19% of consumers feel less secure about food-related spending.
Key implications:
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Food price increases are felt more clearly as Tet approaches.
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Consumers prioritize essential categories (groceries, basic gifts, household necessities).
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Non-essential items—such as seasonal fashion, decorative items, and premium experiences—are more likely to be reduced.
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Consumers are shifting toward a “safety-first” mindset: saving more and cutting non-essential expenses, directly reshaping Tet shopping behavior.
2. Tet Shopping Behavior: Gifting and Worship Drive the Majority of Purchases
Instead of spontaneous spending, Vietnamese consumers are becoming more selective—balancing tradition, usability, and affordability. This balance shapes a unique Tet demand pattern where cultural elements strongly influence consumer behavior.
Key numbers highlight this trend:
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76% of consumers shop for family gifting, reinforcing the central role of Tet gifts → premium-looking, well-packaged products gain a significant advantage.
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69% prioritize worship and altar decoration items, fueling demand for traditional colors (red, gold) and typical ceremonial products such as beer and confectionery.
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68% buy products for household gatherings, showing strong stocking-up behavior for family meals and guest hosting.
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When choosing Tet gifts, 58% prioritize good pricing, 57% emphasize Tet-themed colors, and 45% prefer luxurious designs → buyers aim to balance aesthetics with affordability.
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In the worship category, 58% choose based on color and 51% based on ritual suitability, emphasizing how cultural beliefs strongly shape purchasing decisions.
For brands, this means an opportunity to enhance Tet packaging in red–gold, expand gift boxes or hampers, and craft messaging around togetherness, gratitude, and luck—while offering wallet-friendly promotions that meet the demand for “beautiful – appropriate – sufficient” Tet products.
3. Tet Shopping & Stocking Timeline: Early Preparation and Regional Differences
As consumers shift toward “prepare early – hunt deals later,” retailers must adjust stocking schedules to match demand patterns. In the North, early demand for gifting and stocking requires retailers to prepare inventory 1–2 months before Tet. In contrast, Southern consumers often delay purchases to wait for promotions, causing retailers to concentrate stock-ins closer to Tet. This divergence makes forecasting and supply coordination a critical survival factor during the peak Tet season.
Key data points illustrating this trend:
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66% of Hanoi retailers stock up 1–2 months before Tet, reflecting early preparation for gifting and bulk-buying.
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54% of HCMC retailers begin stocking less than one month before Tet, driven by consumers’ “wait-for-promotion” mindset.
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53% of Hanoi retailers observe bulk-buying, especially for gifts and household essentials, creating an early demand peak.
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41% of HCMC retailers report delayed purchases as consumers wait for deals, shifting demand closer to Tet.
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For Beer & Beverage categories, sales peaks often occur 1–2 months pre-Tet before dropping sharply post-peak.
To adapt, brands should activate two market phases: early demand stimulation in the North (stocking & gifting) and late-stage promotional pushes in the South. At the same time, optimizing distribution by phase helps avoid stockouts or overstocking after Tet.
Conclusion: Strategic Directions for Deploying Digital Ads for Tet 2026
Tet 2026 will continue to be a peak shopping season heavily influenced by cultural factors, risk-averse mindsets, and the need to optimize budgets. Consumer behavior will be shaped by three key pillars: gift-giving, ritual offerings, and household preparation. Shoppers tend to prepare early while still waiting for last-minute deals, creating two distinct “behavioral peaks” across regions. As a result, digital advertising strategies must stay flexible—aligned with each phase, each purchase motivation, and the product-selection logic unique to Vietnamese consumers during the biggest holiday of the year. Specifically, brands should:
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Optimize budget allocation around demand peaks: Increase impressions from the 15th–28th of the lunar month, when consumers make final spending decisions after weeks of consideration. Prioritize short-form videos, high-impact banners, and PR content—especially press coverage on reputable news outlets—to maximize share of voice during peak demand.
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Build communication around “gifting & ritual offerings” insights: Position products through Tet-associated meanings (luck, gratitude, togetherness) instead of just features; enrich creatives with New Year contexts (spring blessings, prosperity wishes, healthy beginnings).
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Strengthen brand trust and credibility: Leverage inventory on reputable publishers and relevant categories (Health, Personal Finance, Consumer Lifestyle) to reinforce trust. Deploy in-depth advertorials or branded content to reassure consumers during decision-making.
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Focus on value–benefit comparison campaigns: As consumers tighten spending, formats like carousel, collection ads, or conversion-optimized landing pages should highlight usage benefits, gift value, Tet combo bundles, and savings.
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Capitalize on Tet-related search behavior & keywords: Use keyword targeting across news and search platforms to capture high-intent queries such as “gift ideas for parents,” “Tet 2026 gift recommendations,” “year-end ritual tray,” and “safe Tet food options.” These signals indicate strong purchase intent.
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Apply retargeting based on long-term research behavior: Consumers often revisit options multiple times before buying. Brands can build remarketing strategies based on viewed content (product reviews, prices, combos, gift sets) to drive conversions in the final week before Tet.
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Leverage short-form content & UGC for authenticity: Videos of 6–12 seconds, real user experiences, and reviews from past buyers act as behavioral triggers; micro-creators can help contextualize real-life usage scenarios.
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Optimize mobile-first across the entire conversion journey: Tet traffic and transactions surge on mobile. Ensure fast loading, seamless checkout, flexible payments, and landing pages tailored to the “browse fast – buy fast” behavior.
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