Street Vendors Continue to Struggle to Survive

Phnom Penh’s street vendors told Kiripost that they still face financial challenges as the tailwind of the Covid-19 pandemic and a sluggish global economy impact their livelihoods.

While Cambodia’s economy and borders have now been open for two years following the Covid-19 pandemic, many small businesses continue to face financial hardships amid a global economic slowdown.

Chet Sokha, 43, from Kampong Cham province, has been selling clothes at Toul Sangkae 1 market since 2018. She recalls having many customers when she first opened her stall.

“But when Covid-19 occurred, business went down,” she said, adding that most of her customers are factory workers. During the months of lockdown, Sokha said street vendors lost about 80 percent of their daily income, with the majority of buyers returning to their hometowns.

She noted that even when factories reopened, many workers did not return to the capital.

From late-2022 until mid-2023, Sokha said that business started to improve, despite the fact many customers did not have expendable income to spend on clothes. However, she has no choice but to continue selling from the market as she cannot afford to rent elsewhere.

“I have three children, they need support for their studies. As a mother, I have to do anything I can to get money to fulfil our daily needs, including paying rent and the children’s fees.”

Currently, Sokha’s expenses exceed her income. In another blow to her business, the garment factory that she used to sell her clothes in front of recently closed, meaning some days she only makes two or three sales.

Sokha hopes to see Cambodia's economy quickly improve, as currently people are being cautious with their cash, which is seriously impacting her trade and that of other street vendors.

Nen Sreyleak, 41, is a street food vendor at Samhan Market in Toul Sangkae. She told Kiripost, “I have been doing this business for six years. Before, I could earn a reasonable income because all products I bought to cook were not very expensive, but now everything is increasing.”

Sreyleak said business has continued to decrease even since the end of the pandemic. She added that even today, sales remain slow due to global economic concerns that are causing people to tighten their spending and many factories to suspend operations, or close.

Before the pandemic, she sold about 15 chickens a day. Today, that figure has slumped to a mere four or five. “Some of my buyers have moved to another place because their workplace [factories] have been closed,” Sreyleak added.

Nop Sreymom, 29, a cosmetic seller, noted that living in Phnom Penh is becoming tough for many people due to the high cost of living compared to rural areas. ,

She added that the situation is further exacerbated by market owners who increase rent prices when they see people succeed with their business. “It would be better if those market owners understand the vendors’ feelings,” Sreymom said.

Hoy Sokung, 41, and her husband have lived in a small rental room near Beoung Kok for more than 10 years. She said the situation is so dire that sometimes she cries when she looks at her children. She has one boy and three girls, with her oldest daughter aged 14.

Before, she was a street food vendor, but when her youngest daughter was born earlier this year, she quit the business and started to sell goods, including drinks and snacks, from home. However, her expenses are high and her income is low.

“My husband is stressed too sometimes. As a PassApp driver, it’s very difficult because there are many drivers for this kind of work. I really worry about these challenges, especially since where we live is always flooding. Sometimes, we cannot sleep.”

Due to these additional strains, Sokung said if the situation does not improve soon, the family will be forced to relocate elsewhere. For example, near a construction site.

Originally published: https://kiripost.com/stories/cambodia-phnom-penh-street-vendors-struggle-to-survive