Empowering Vietnamese Goods: Central Retail's Commitment
With over 11 years of business in Vietnam, Central Retail Vietnam has consistently strived to connect suppliers and exchange knowledge and experiences with potential local companies to promote Vietnamese goods domestically and enhance export opportunities jointly.
Promoting Vietnamese goods in the domestic market
As one of the leading retailers with a widespread distribution network across the country’s three regions, Central Retail Vietnam actively collaborates with suppliers on the journey to promote the development and support the promotion of Vietnamese goods. Understanding the challenges manufacturers face, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, in distributing to modern retail systems, Central Retail is committed to working hand in hand. This commitment is evident through various programs such as direct procurement of agricultural products from farmers and cooperatives with a 0% discount, local Agricultural Weeks at GO!, Big C, connecting the consumption of agricultural products to the modern retail chain of Big C/GO!, OCOP Weeks at Big C and Community Livelihood programs.
To date, Central Retail Vietnam proudly maintains the percentage of Vietnamese goods in the GO!, Big C food retail system at over 90%. The goal of supporting local manufacturers and suppliers, especially supporting Vietnamese farmers and small businesses, is demonstrated through various programs, including consumption initiatives and promotion of agricultural products through direct local purchases (50% of fresh food is purchased directly from local regions near the supermarket location), the “Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises” program launched in 2016, training courses, quick financial support, distribution and logistical support, as well as marketing communication at the GO!, Big C shelves.
The group regularly signs contracts with local suppliers, providing opportunities for Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises to transition and expand their market through modern retail channels, contributing to the creation of a competitive Vietnamese brand against products from other countries in the region and around the world while ensuring a stable supply of goods for consumers.
Remarkably, the group consistently promotes products certified with the OCOP (One Commune, One Product) designation, creating a source of quality agricultural products for consumers. Since its opening in 2014, Big C Ha Long (now GO! Ha Long) has continuously been promoting and showcasing OCOP products from Quang Ninh province to this day. In GO! supermarkets nationwide, OCOP product displays are prioritized in prominent central positions.
“With Central Retail’s experience and observations from reality, we have noticed that consumers have a habit of buying local specialties at traditional markets. Bringing regionally distinctive local products to GO!, Big C supermarkets help local producers in general, and OCOP products in particular, maintain stable production. It also helps us effectively implement our strategy of localizing our products, contributing to the prosperity of the national economy,” said a representative of Central Retail Vietnam.
Boosting export opportunities
With 76 years of retail experience in Thailand, Central Retail is aiming higher by supporting Vietnamese goods to participate in the international arena.
The 6th annual Vietnamese Week in Thailand took place in August 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by Central Retail in Vietnam in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This event opened up business opportunities for nearly 100 Vietnamese enterprises from critical sectors such as tea, coffee, seafood, and regional specialties from the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. It introduced famous OCOP products from provinces nationwide.
Sharing the event’s goals, Mr. Olivier Langlet, Group CEO of Central Retail in Vietnam, said: “The Vietnamese Week in Thailand provides the best conditions for Vietnamese businesses to directly connect and trade with retail distribution systems in Thailand, seeking successful export opportunities to Thailand through the modern retail channel of Central Group Thailand.
At the opening ceremony, the booth area of Long An province gathered 10 enterprises with 10 different colors from various product groups, including processed agricultural products, fresh agricultural products, processed food, handicrafts, and more.
With the efforts and collaboration of businesses, products from Long An province reached many international visitors immediately after the opening day. Enterprises from other provinces also received positive feedback.
From a business perspective, participating in the Vietnam Week in Thailand for the first time, Mr. Nguyen Quang Duy, Director of D&T Company (Khanh Hoa), stated that after the B2B Matching between Vietnamese businesses and purchasing units from Central Group, D&T Company attracted many interested partners, facilitating the placement of seaweed products on the shelves of Thai consumers.
After six events, this annual event has made initial strides in helping Vietnamese businesses export stably to Thailand through the supermarket chain of Central Group Thailand. Notable brands include King Coffee (instant coffee), Mr. Viet (coffee), Trung Nguyen (coffee), Real Bean Coffee (whole bean and ground coffee), Bibica (snacks), Acecook (instant noodles), Vifon (instant pho), Hai Binh (smoked cashews), Chinsufoods (soy sauce), Daiviet (instant porridge), Viet Pepper (black pepper), and more.
