Many businesses kicked off promotions with discounts of up to 50 per cent to welcome National Day and mark the start of the city\'s official sales promotion month in September.

Clients look at washing machines at Sai Gon-Nguyen Kim Supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vinatex Mart\'s chain of 57 supermarkets are offering more than 1,000 items to be reduced by 10-50 per cent during September. It is also offering thousands of enclosed gifts to consumers.

In addition, Vinatex Mart\'s mobile sales teams will be dispatched to outlying districts, industrial parks and export processing zones.

Nguyen Thi Hanh, general director of Saigon Co.op Mart, said from August 30 to September 12, the Co.op Mart supermarket chain would offer a discount of 50 per cent on 1,500 items.

Co.op Mart, in collaboration with Vissan, Sagrifood and San Miguel Co will reduce the price of pork by VND4,000 per kilogramme.

Customers with bills worth over VND200,000 (US$10.5) will have an opportunity to participate in a lucky draw and win prizes of 46 Attila motorbikes and 4,000 shopping trolleys full of gifts.

During September, HCM City\'s Big C supermarkets will apply a discount of 5-50 per cent on 2,300 items, 97 per cent of which are Vietnamese products.

Maximark Cong Hoa in Tan Binh District will cut the prices of 300 commodities by 5-50 per cent and offer 300 special discount vouchers for customers.

Thien Hoa Electric Appliances Centre said it had offered a discount of 10-49 per cent on 500 electronic, household appliances and electricity products.

Many companies said purchasing power in September, especially National Day, is expected to be double normal days.

Shopping centres like Zen Plaza have marked prices down by 10-50 per cent on local and international fashion brands.

At Zen Plaza, a promotion programme titled Qua tang thang 9 (Gifts in September) was launched from August 28 to September 5 to offer a of 50 per cent discount on Minoshe, Jockey, Kiko, Oiwai and Children Planet brands.

With a bill worth VND1 million ($52.6), customers will receive a voucher worth VND50,000 ($2.6).

On August 27, Sai Gon Nguyen Kim department store began its Tuan le vang 2010 (Golden Week) with a discount of at least 15 per cent on leading global brands including Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, JVC, Sanyo, Sharp, Samsung, LG, Philips and Electrolux.

In addition, the warranty on products will be extended, and 500 customers will receive multi-rice cookers if they purchase at least VND1.5 million ($78.9) of goods.

Tran Vinh Nhung, deputy director of Department of Industry and Trade, said the promotional month was created to stimulate demand and support a national programme that urges Vietnamese to buy locally made brands.