Consumer trust in local products grows

Deputy Minister Ho Thi Kim Thoa says in many localities 58 percent of consumers actually preferred Vietnamese grown fruit and vegetables and up to 80 percent voiced a preference for domestically produced garments.

The number of consumers who believe local products are of high quality has increased to 71 percent compared to just 23 percent before the campaign was launched.

Products made in Vietnam are also becoming ubiquitous in supermarkets. At Big C, they account for nearly 90 percent of the goods on sale; at Vinatex Mart, everything is produced in Vietnam.

According to Thoa, in order to boost Vietnamese product sales, the distribution system must be expanded with a focus on traditional markets, as turnover from these markets made up an estimated 40 percent of total retail sales.

However, expanding distribution required significant amounts of capital, which would be difficult for smaller enterprises to accumulate.

Meanwhile, the competitiveness of many domestic enterprises remained low and their products still failed to satisfy consumers in comparison to imports.

The ministry will help enterprises promote their goods by bringing Made-in-Vietnam products to rural areas and traditional markets while working to prevent smuggling and trade fraud, Thoa said.

A project to develop the domestic market will be proposed to the Prime Minister in the fourth quarter of this year.