Online shopping has developed strongly in Vietnam in recent time and is
forecast to further develop in the coming years, according to the
E-commerce and Information Technology Department.
Vietnam is one
of the top three countries with the highest rate of growth of internet
and mobilephone subscribers in Vietnam, with more than four million
people using internet a day, offering great potential for online
shopping development, according to Tran Huu Linh, head of the
department.
Revenue of the e-commerce sector increased
year-by-year, reaching 2.2 billion USD last year. The value is estimated
to hit more than 4 billion USD by 2015.
Besides e-commerce companies, manufacturing firms have also sold their products via their websites.
In addition, a large number of individuals are taking part in selling goods through their social media pages.
Goods sold via the internet are diverse, ranging from factory-made to home-made ones.
Compared to open shops, selling goods via the Internet saves costs and does not require large investment capital.
Nguyen
Quang Huy, Chairman and General Director of Caganu Retailer Group, for
instance, said his company had obtained a high growth rate since joining
the e-commerce market in June last year, adding that it planned to
expand services to many other cities and provinces nationwide.
But
while e-commerce had seen significant growth, many Vietnamese consumers
had not participated in online shopping because of security fears and
complicated shopping online procedures, he said.
In addition,
some e-commerce sites delivered low-quality products that are not in
line with what is introduced on websites, discouraging consumers to make
purchases online.
Do Ngoc Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Post
Corporation, said that 38 percent of its surveyed respondents complained
about late delivery.
The e-commerce market would expand more quickly if existing problems were solved, Binh said.
The
Ministry of Industry and Trade had promoted regulations stipulating
e-commerce operations, Linh said, adding that it was collecting opinions
for a draft circular on managing operations of e-commerce websites,
including social media.
The move aimed to support the development of the e-commerce market in the coming time, he said.
To promote online shopping, the department in collaboration with the
Vietnam E-commerce Association on September 25 launched the “Online
shopping day 2014”, which will take place on December 5 at
www.onlinefriday.vn or www.ngaymuasamtructuyen.vn.
During the
day, consumers would enjoy special discounts and free shipping costs and
other incentives from participating businesses when they purchase items
online, Linh said.
This is the first time such a large-scale
event has been organised in Vietnam for online shopping, with about 500
businesses expected to be involved.-VNA