Where to Shop in Ho Chi Minh: Top Markets, Malls, and Boutiques

I spent over a month living in Ho Chi Minh City and during my time there, I had the great idea to search for an all-new wardrobe. After living out of a suitcase for 6 months you can imagine how tiring it was wearing the same clothes over and over again.

Thankfully my next destination was Saigon, and though it’s not well known for fashion, it ended up being a great place to shop for women’s clothing. So much so that I got addicted to checking out boutiques and thrifting daily!

Every day there was a new brand or store that caught my eye. I was even glued to following local fashion brands on social media, as some dropped new clothing items every few days!

In Saigon, you can find a variety of classic, trendy, and girly styles made from high-quality materials for excellent prices! The value here is actually so amazing.

Here is a list of my 8 favorite places to shop at in Saigon! My list includes boutique shops, up-and-coming local designers, markets, fashion malls, international brands, and thrift stores.

Nguyen Trai

• Stores: The Maven, Libé, Canary Linen, OLV, Kido Studio, The Freckles Studio, Dottie, Dear Jose, Miki Classic

Welcome to boutique paradise! This strip is famous for shopping and could be broken up into many sections but for this article, I’m just going to focus on the area from Đ. Tôn Thất Tùng to Đ. Nguyễn Thị Nghĩa.

This street is packed with local boutique shops, ranging from trendy, to classic, to even Western-style stores! It was a pleasant surprise to see so many different boutique shops, all with unique styles.

You can tell these stores care about their designs and selection. It was so refreshing coming from the USA, where you go to any shopping mall and they have the same 20 brands with the same boring fashion.

If you’re looking for a wide variety of stores at different price points then I recommend shopping on Nguyen Trai. One of my favorite stores is Libé, it’s a local brand that sells stylish clothes. It reminds me of a Vietnamese Aritzia but at Forever 21 pricing. The quality of clothing at Libé is excellent—I didn’t find a single puckered item when I tried their dresses on.

26 Ly Tu Trong

• Location: 26 Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
• Stores: Anniegals, Bléu, Dottie, Libé, NakedbyV, Reply1987, Vintage Hearts, Tiemmem, The New Playground, Moda de Lita

26 Ly Tu Trong is a multi-level apartment turned retail paradise. This place is a mecca for women’s clothing that is cool and trendy. The stores are all locally owned and boutique. Shopping here is also quite charming, even though the styles are hip and modern, the building itself is quite old—it almost feels like you’re going back in time.

If you’re looking for clothing that is different from what everyone else has, then 26 Lý Tự Trọng is the place to be. I found the basement-level store The New Playground incredibly impressive and exciting. The New Playground is a collective of local designers with some of the hippest designs I’ve ever seen.

Again, these brands can only be found in Vietnam so the chances of having the same clothes as your friend back home is zero to none.

Thrift Stores

Thrifting is very popular amongst the youth here in Vietnam and thankfully my friends who live in the area (and even own a thrift store in Saigon) showed me some of their favorite thrift spots!

Stores: Hebe Vintage, Mayhem, Vintage Hearts, Rachan Mura Vintage, The Normal, DreamThreadsVVK

Thrift Mall: 2nd Floor (Backstairs), 42, Tôn Thất Thiệp, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

This small shopping center is within walking distance of Saigon Centre but is tucked away and can easily be missed. I wouldn’t have even noticed it if it wasn’t for my friend, Ngan, who showed me the way here. It’s a bit tricky to get to. You enter through a narrow passageway, then walk through a motorbike parking area, then up the back staircase.

But once you make it, you will find it is truly a hidden gem for thrifting in Saigon. Here you can find over 6 thrift stores with carefully selected second-hand products. I was surprised to see a bunch of Y2K brands like Von Dutch and Ed Hardy making a major comeback.

Vincom Center

• Location: 72 Đ. Lê Thánh Tôn, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Stores: Adidas, Aldo, Cotton:On, H&M, Gap, Mango, Old Navy, Pull & Bear, Tommy Hilfiger, Weekend Maxmara, Zara and More
• Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

This shopping center is split between two buildings right next to each other. Building B is directly across from 26 Lý Tự Trọng and provides exactly the opposite shopping experience from 26 Ly Tu Trong. With over 250 shops, here you will find large international retailers such as H&M, Mango, Zara, Pull & Bear Inc.

Though it’s not my preferred mall, once you strike out of things to buy at the local boutiques (many times they only go up to size M) then you will find something you’re looking for at Vincom Center. Just note that compared to local boutiques, the pricing is much higher. It’s western world prices, which should be expected.

Saigon Centre (Takashimaya)

• Location: 65 Đ. Lê Lợi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 70000
• Stores: Calvin Klein, Chanel, Crocs, Lacoste, MAX&Co., Moschino, Onitsuka Tiger, Takashimaya, Tommy Hilfiger, Uniqlo, and more
• Hours: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM

If you’re looking for a more Western-style mall, look no further than Saigon Centre. The shopping here is comfortable and familiar—you’ll find popular international retailers such as Chanel, Crocs, Lacoste, Moschino, and more. It’s a similar experience to Vincom Center but more on the high-end.

Saigon Centre is a large air-conditioned mall in a nice modern building. There is a food court and restaurants on the upper floors. I ended up eating at Jin Din Rou three times 😊

Though these expensive stores aren’t for me, if you go to the basement of the Takashimaya Department store, you will find a collection of women’s clothing from local Vietnamese clothing boutiques (for example they have OLV dresses here).

Ben Thanh Market

• Location: Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Hours: 6:00 am – 6:00 pm, Night Market 17:00 – 22:00

Ben Thanh is the world-famous market in Ho Chi Minh City. There are many events hosted here, and of course, plenty of shopping! With over 1,500 booths, you can find a wide variety of goods.

We had fun getting lost in its narrow alleyways. Oddly enough, this market reminded us of the markets we visited in Mexico. Overall, this place isn’t where you will find unique clothing, rather it’s where you can buy counterfeit and popular bohemian-style goods. Think long flowy dresses, graphic tees, souvenirs, and fake North Face.

They serve food in the center of the market so overall it’s an exciting cultural experience. Though I couldn’t find the perfect items for me here, it’s a fun experience that’s worth going to! You can also barter with the vendors to get some great deals.

Union Square

• Location: 171 Đ. Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Hours: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
• Stores: Dior, Bulgari, Hugo Boss, Tiffany and Co., Loewe

Union Square (previously Vincom Eden – Vincom Center A) is a luxury shopping center. The building is very noticeable with its charming mix of French and modern architecture. It’s conveniently located next to Vincom Center, Parkson, and the famous Ho Chi Minh Statue.

I personally didn’t do much shopping here because it was out of my price range but I did walk around and check out the stores. The mall is rather boring so I only recommend coming here if you are looking for something specific.

Parkson

• Stores: Muji, Uniqlo

The Parkson Plaza isn’t anything to write home about but it does have some popular global stores that will attract crowds regardless. For example, Muji and Uniqlo are both at this shopping center!

Unfortunately in 2024, there aren’t too many shops occupying the building but it has air conditioning which makes it a great place to escape the heat. You can also find cosmetic and perfume stands on the first floor of the building.