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| Work space at Mr. Sen’s stall. |
From the house to the garden
Nestled in the C4 Vu Ngoc Phan apartment complex, Chang Sen Stall is a store providing environmentally friendly products. The outside is simply a small shop, but inside Chang Sen Stall is a poetic garden that anyone who visits will be overwhelmed.
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Right from the entrance, the booths were decorated with bottles from materials such as glass, ceramic to plastic… for recycling.
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The interior space of the store.
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Close-up of a candle stall at Mr. Sen’s stall.
When asked about the idea of building a garden right in the middle of the store’s dormitory area, Mr. An shared: “Normally people think business must be on the street, but the first requirement when opening a store is that it needs to be quiet and empty. One more thing is that I also like dormitories because I like the space and context there. I always pay attention to which spaces can grow plants and have sunlight. I work but still have sunlight entering the house. Quiet, trees and sunshine are all I need.”
Green business: It’s not simple
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| Portrait of Dang An – Founder of Mr. Sen’s stall shop. |
Today, when environmental pollution is at an alarming level and receiving more and more attention from society, “green startups” are becoming more and more popular. It is not difficult to find an offline or online store selling environmentally friendly products, especially in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh or Da Nang. In addition, businesses are also racing to implement green campaigns, replacing disposable objects with objects that customers can reuse.
Born in 2015, started operating strongly in 2017, at that time he was alone in the market with the only product being straws. Currently, Chang Sen Store sells a variety of products, imported from more than 15 product suppliers and distributed to more than 60 restaurant partners. In October 2019, Chang Sen Stall was recognized as a Community Business Initiative at the Green Swallow Gala.
Sharing about the reason for choosing to sell these products, Mr. An said: “If you want to protect the environment, you must start with the smallest jobs and household items to minimize waste in the environment.” And my business decisions are all my own thoughts, because I care about what I want. I hope Lotus Shop will bring everyone a gentle feeling.”
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| The products at Mr. Sen Stall not only attract the domestic market but also reach foreign tourists. |
Mr. An’s customers, besides young people interested in environmental issues, are mostly foreigners. They seemed interested in the stall’s “very Vietnamese” products. The special thing about coming to Mr. An’s stall is that people can sit down and chat like friends. Through that, he was able to change the consumption habits of customers. After a while, people often prepare their items such as boxes, bags, etc. when buying products from the stall to minimize the use of nylon bags.
Despite facing many difficulties, Mr. An is still constantly looking for more environmentally friendly products to limit waste. He hopes that in the future, more young people will be interested in this field so that environmental protection is no longer a macro issue for society.
Update: the shop is re-located to No. 98 Mai Anh Tuan, Dong Da, Hanoi
