Strengthening global position of Vietnamese goods

Photo: Can Dung

Boosting exports

In 2011, the first Vietnamese Goods Week event was organized through the major French Big C supermarket chain owned by the Casino Group. Although Vietnamese goods were almost unknown to the world at that time, the event left a strong impression on European importers and consumers. Since then, the amount of Vietnamese goods exported via Big C has grown rapidly, reaching US$20-30 million per year.

After Big C, Vietnamese Goods Week events have been successfully organized in many other large supermarket chains such as Metro Cash&Carry (Germany), Lotte Mart and Emart (Republic of Korea). Each year, US$30-50 million worth of Vietnamese goods are exported via Metro Cash&Carry, and US$2 million via Lotte Mart.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa said Vietnamese goods had won the trust of global consumers and sales had increased rapidly through foreign supermarkets. In recent years, foreign supermarkets have become an effective distribution channel, significantly contributing to Vietnam’s export successes.

Enhancing competitiveness

Despite these good results, Vietnamese goods still display some limitations such as unattractive packaging, variable quality, and domestic businesses still lack market information.

Lotte Vietnam Trading Center Company Limited General Director Hong Won Sik said Vietnamese businesses needed to ensure the quality of their products. In fact, the quality of Vietnamese goods varies from one consignment to another. Moreover, many businesses still lack information about foreign markets and consumer taste, leading to the export of products that do not match consumer needs.

To surmount these limitations, the plan for promoting participation in global distribution networks towards 2020 has been approved. One of the major tasks is building a database to provide domestic businesses with accurate information about the demands of global distribution networks, especially major markets such as Europe, North America, Southeast and Northeast Asia. The database will also provide foreign importers with information about Vietnamese businesses and export products.

The second important task is intensifying trade promotion through specific measures such as setting up links with foreign distribution networks, assisting businesses in production, product development, and brand building. Trade promotion activities in the framework of the National Trade Promotion Program (for example organizing Vietnamese Goods Week events overseas) will be prioritized.

Deputy Minister Ho Thi Kim Thoa said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade would organize a Vietnamese Goods Week event at the Selgros Cash&Carry Group (Italy) this November. Next year, events of this type will be organized in France and some other countries to increase the presence of Vietnamese goods in global distribution channels.

Phuong Lan