Trading in clean food online, piece of cake

Online shopping is a fast growing trend in Vietnam, especially in big cities

Growing trend

Those selling clean or safe foods and foodstuffs online make use of major websites like Facebook, Zalo, and Instagram to reach buyers. This trade channel also benefits consumers, enabling them to find what they want from among a variety of offered products without going to stores, and post or send feedbacks about the quality of products and services, Nguyen Hoai Nam, a Facebook-based seller of safe foods said.

He said his group’s website has attracted more than 4,300 followers and sharers, and more and more consumers have chosen shopping online. Selling goods online helps sellers minimize store rental cost, as they do not need to lease stores at a central location and can even do business out of their homes or rent stores in small alleys at a reasonable rate. This, in turn, can increase profits by 15 to 30 percent.

Chu Dieu Huong, a consumer in Hanoi - the capital - said shopping online helps her save time, and it is easy to buy products of known origin or with Vietnamese and Global Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP and GlobalGAP) certifications online.

Management needed

However, online sellers have to prove their products’ origin and quality, Nam said. Safe foods and foodstuffs cost more than conventional products of the same kind and this is a challenge for sellers, he added. Sellers should make public product information including quality and origin certifications and production processes to attract buyers, Nam said.

Although online food sales are developing strongly, control over the products is lax. According to the Hanoi Market Management Department, a number of inspected small online sellers of clean or safe food and foodstuffs do not have origin and quality certifications. The department recommends that consumers buy products from recognized, reliable sellers.