Visitors to Ho Chi Minh City are spoilt for choice for shops and most of them are within easy walking distance of each other. Many shops are found along Dong Khoi, which used to be the trendy Rue Catinat in French colonial times. Close by are Hai Ba Trung, Le Thanh Ton and Le Loi, which are also worth a look. Off-the-peg clothing is always a good buy but even better is to have clothes made up by one of the many tailors. There is always a good range of coloured silk to choose from. For silk clothes and accessories try Khoi Silk, 81 Dong Khoi. Hand-embroidered tablecloths and napkins are very popular and luxury household items can be found at Song, 76D Le Thanh Ton.

Items such as boxes and vases made from lacquerware are extremely good value. The hill tribes of the Central Highlands and the north of the country now sell colourful woven bags and clothing in the city. Good souvenirs are marble figurines and vases and silk paintings and greetings cards. Busy Ben Thanh Market on Le Loi is crammed with items of interest to the visitor, such as clothes and souvenirs, as well as more general household items, food and flowers. It is open from early morning with an evening night market.

Shops are generally open seven days a week from around 0800 until between 2000 and 2200. All shops tend to be on the small side but now there are several very smart department stores including Diamond Plaza on Le Duan, Saigon Centre at 65 Le Loi and Lucky Plaza on Dong Khoi. VAT is structured on a four-tiered system (at 0%, 5%, 10% and 20%). It is included on most items sold and 10% is the standard, but there is no system for foreign visitors to be able to claim this back at the moment. However, the duty-free shop on the corner of Nguyen Hue and Le Loi in the centre of downtown Saigon (tel: (08) 823 4549), will allow foreigners to make tax-free purchases of their stock. A passport and stamped yellow entry customs form must be shown. During the first five days of your visit, you can take goods away; otherwise they will be delivered to the international airport for you.