Visit these "green" shops that embody the spirit of Vietnam.

Fish Farm

Trai Ca is one of the pioneering places with this model.refillIn Hanoi, the huge glass bottles filled with Cô Cà Chua hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, toilet cleaner, and other products from Trại Cá have inspired more small shops with refillable models to open.

For homemakers in particular, and anyone who loves household goods in general, almost everyone wants to place the highest quality products in every space of their home. That's when you should try Trai Ca. Here you can find everything from kitchenware to bedroom items: bowls, plates, knives, cutting boards, glasses, vases, blankets, mattresses, etc., with styles and designs suitable for many spaces.

Founded by an architect with a keen sense of aesthetics and a particular interest in the functionality of things, all of Trai Ca's products are manufactured in traditional craft villages throughout Vietnam. Perhaps it is the Vietnamese artisans who best understand the materials suitable for the specific climates of each region. By personally researching these traditional craft villages and infusing their products with a fresh perspective, Trai Ca has created a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity.

"I bought this small wicker basket from Trai Ca a few years ago to hold my knives and forks every day, and I've been waiting forever for it to get moldy or damaged so I can buy a new one," shared a customer of Trai Ca.

Beyond ensuring customers receive green, clean, and sustainable products, Trai Ca aims for an environmentally friendly and safe raw material production process for its artisans.

In particular, every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, traditional mooncakes, hand-painted masks, spinning lanterns, and revolving lanterns from Trai Ca are always sold out.

Fish Farm

Address: 1 Alley 200 Tran Dai Nghia Street, Hanoi

Fanpage:Fish Farm

Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Lotus stall

"Status" - that's the affectionate way Chang Sen Stall refers to its customers. Amidst the bustling city, this small "stall" brings together carefully selected, high-quality products, creating a peaceful and "refilling" ecosystem in lifestyle, and further reinforcing the culture of carrying baskets to the market, jugs to buy wine, bowls to hold sauces, pickles, and other condiments... and reviving the memories of the younger generation about their roots.

Although the traditional method of buying in bulk has appeared in Vietnam in recent years, it still has many drawbacks regarding travel, the cumbersome preparation of bottles and containers, especially given the ongoing complexities of the pandemic. With dedication, Chang Sen Stall has researched and implemented an online model for buying in bulk to make it more accessible to customers.

At the stall, you'll always find clean, neatly arranged glass bottles available for you to purchase directly or order online, using a bulk purchase system for products from quality-tested brands such as Co Ca Chua, Lam Moc, etc.

The stall caters to customers' needs through even the smallest items, from scented candles with seasonal fragrance recommendations to products that soothe fatigue, such as herbal compresses.

The stall also attracts customers with a healthy and high-quality drinks counter. At the stall, you can find the original bitterness of pure cocoa powder, the gentle sweetness of coconut nectar, a range of passionately fermented teas from Tea House Hanoi, and wines steeped in local culture such as Hanoi kumquat wine and Western Vietnam lime wine from Ruou Mam.

Notably, Chang Sen Shop is currently the only place in Hanoi that uses the "Simple Raw Tomato" purchase method – a product that combines shower gel, hand wash, and face wash in one, helping customers save money.

Other notable products at the stall include: skincare and body care products from Don Dien, herbal bath and steaming leaves, massage oils from Vietherb, etc.

Sincere and kind—that's what you can easily see in the "sales" messages on the shop's Fanpage, written by the shop's owner himself. If you happen to encounter "Mr. Sen" at the shop, you'll also feel the benevolent aura emanating from him. It's no exaggeration to say he truly is a Mr. Sen, resourceful, with a love for nature and a concern for many community projects.

Chang Sen Stall

Address: Room 103, Alley C4 (next to number 6), Vu Ngoc Phan Street, Hanoi

Fanpage:Chang Sen Stall

Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Come here to refill

Unpretentious, hardworking, and a lifelong vegetarian – that's what people often say about Helly Tong, co-founder of Lai Day Refill Station. Sharing that same dedication, Lai Day attracts customers with its simplicity.

Pioneering the refill shopping sector in Saigon, within 3 years, Lai Day has opened 3 "stations" in Ho Chi Minh City with spacious areas serving the sustainable consumer community.

Lại Đây offers a variety of refillable products, from everyday household items like vegetable and fruit washes and shower gels in various scents to individual milliliters of toner, natural soaps sold by the gram, and even solid perfumes. In addition, Lại Đây provides consumers with smart, reusable bags and packaging solutions.

Besides shopping for eco-friendly products, you can come to Lai Day, leave your old battery casings here for proper disposal, get free seeds to grow a new plant, and participate in Lai Day Used Goods Markets and workshops on making eco-friendly fermented cleaning products.

After you've bought everything you need for your home, you can visit the "Come Here" bookstore. It's a small space with books that will hopefully give you new perspectives on a sustainable lifestyle.

Come here

Fanpage:Come Here Refill Station

Address & Opening Hours:

+ 47/1 Quoc Huong Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City (9 AM - 9 PM)

+ 100 Ha Huy Tap Street, Tan Phong Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City (9 AM - 8 PM)

+ 59 Ngo Tat To Street, Ward 21, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City (9 AM - 9 PM)

Collective Memory

If you need a gift for a friend far away, want to introduce tourists to the diverse flavors of Vietnam, or simply want to discover beautiful little things, we invite you to visit Collective Memory. Located on the small Nha Chung street in the heart of Hanoi, despite its small size, this place is like a modern treasure trove, containing countless layers of culture that will take you a long time to breathe in, feel, and marvel at.

The person behind Collective Memory is Nga Hoang, a "travel enthusiast" who has traveled extensively to many countries around the world, before returning home to Hanoi to open a "Vietnamese cultural gift shop".

Collective Memory brings together local flavors and history in every product. Here you'll find the aroma of relaxing floral and herbal scented candles, the fragrant herbal perfume that evokes the Tet holiday of yesteryear, the sweetness of pure wild honey, the distinctive spiciness of Hanoi and Saigon chili sauces from century-old family brands, and the pungent flavor of highland pepper passed down through generations...

Walking around that small space took quite a while, because I wanted to pick up everything and examine it, chuckling softly.How did they manage to combine them so cleverly!Collaborating with dedicated artists, Collective Memory's products infuse the space of a small home with artistic flair. At Collective Memory, you can find artwork featuring images of old rickshaws, coffee filters, draft beer bottles, familiar plastic chairs forming letters with accent marks, or even a charming miniature map of Hanoi with redrawn and highlighted poetic destinations.

While stores like Trai Ca, Sap Chang Sen, and Lai Day Refill cater to the needs and lifestyles of urban dwellers, Collective Memory will serve as a bridge connecting Vietnam's wholesome and charming food market to tourists from around the world.

Collective Memory

Address: 12 Nha Chung Street, Hanoi

Fanpage:Collective Memory

Opening hours: 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM

Quynh Phuong