Made-in-Vietnam furniture penetrates Korean market

Sale Manager Ja-Young Heo from Emart, which is the RoK’s largest retailer, said many Korean consumers have chosen made-in-Vietnam furniture and home utensils as Vietnam and the RoK share similarities in culture and consumer taste.

She spoke highly of the potential market for Vietnamese exports including garments, footwear, and wood furniture of high quality.

Ja-Young Heo also expressed keen interest in importing ceramic and porcelain products from Vietnam.

Vietnam is an ideal place from which RoK retailers and other businesses imported US$8 million worth of Vietnamese goods in 2012, she said.

Emart’s annual spending, mostly on importing  food and home appliances, is estimated at US$200 million.

Ja-Young Heo emphasised that in order to secure a firm foothold in the RoK market, Vietnamese exporters should focus on ensuring food hygiene and safety and qualifying for the Korea Food and Drug Administration’s (KDFA) certificates of origin.

Ta Hoang Linh, Deputy Head of the Trade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said it is an opportune time for Vietnamese businesses to enter the RoK market. Some are encouraged to sell their products to large Korean trade partners including giant retailers like Emart.

Linh said Emart’s first supermarket will be open in Vietnam this year and 16 others in four years’ time.

One of Vietnam’s largest trading partners is the RoK, from which it earned more than US$5 billion in export revenue.