#convenience store

Society

On Finding Packaged Existential Relief at Saigon's Convenience Stores

When running away from life’s many grievances, I often find myself at the convenience store.

Snack Attack

Bimbim, Snack and Oishi: A Brief History of Vietnam's Regional Terms for Packaged Snacks

The differences between regional dialects across Vietnam is a fascinating field of research that can spawn days of discussion, but no other pairs of words has the power to mystify the internet like the dichotomy between bimbim and snack, both used in the Vietnamese language to describe bags of crackers made of rice, corn, or wheat flours. In today’s Snack Attack feature, Saigoneer is digging into the surprisingly recent history of why northern Vietnamese use the term “bimbim” while it has always been “snack” in Saigon and southern provinces.

Asia

Vietnamese Staff Member Wins 7-Eleven Japan's Annual Customer Care Contest

A Vietnamese national recently surpassed over 2,000 other contenders to claim the top spot in a customer service contest in Japan.

Music & Arts

Local Illustrator Recreates Saigon's Convenience Stores as Adorable Cartoon Houses

In the early 2010s, convenience stores emerged as an affordable alternative for Vietnamese youths, especially those with limited disposable income, to chill. A decade later, the widespread mushrooming of these corner shops is proof that cửa hàng tiện lợi is now an indispensable part of the local urban tapestry, and they are here to stay.

Snack Attack

What's the Deal With Cơm Tấm-Flavored Potato Chips?

A quirky legend surrounds the invention of the potato chip, and its identity has only gotten odder over the years.

In Plain Sight

A Case for the Coexistence of Convenience Stores and Tạp Hóa