After one year conducting the campaign "Vietnamese give priority to use Vietnam-made goods”, domestic goods initially gained a foothold in the hearts of consumers. However, in order to have more strength to overcome difficulties and have more stable position in the market, both manufacturers and distributors must support and co-operate each other more closely.

Creating conditions to advertise Vietnamese goods

At the beginning of this year, the adverse events for businesses, that are the increases in price of raw material, electricity, fuel, interest rates..., increase input costs of manufacture in most industries. Although conducting measures to reduce costs and limiting increases in price of goods, the enterprises still have to increase prices. However, consumers respond to price boom by tightening spending. Therefore, at this time, to survive, manufacturers must seek stability of sale through distribution channels to deliver products to consumers. 

In the domestic market, a large number of consumers have a habit of buying goods in supermarkets and shopping centers. These places create conditions for product introduction, customer advice and selling products to consumers most quickly and effectively. Therefore, they are the most effective distribution channels and advertising for Vietnamese goods. According to Mrs. Vu Kim Hanh, director of Center of Business Studies and Assistance (BSA), currently both manufacturers and distributors have difficulties. So to create the tight link between the manufacturers and distributors, preferential policies for them have to be required. It is not possible any Vietnamese goods are displayed at supermarkets, but if the supermarkets give places to Vietnamese goods, which do not have trade names, for introduction in three months and the government supports those for advertising ... the promotion of Vietnamese goods will be improved.

Improving product quality continuously

Mrs. Hanh said that in this stage, the government should have policies, consistent with WTO rules, for domestically small and medium-sized enterprises such as loan assistance, competition assistance - especially in local market. The government should also support the enterprises intensively in the green light field,  which is not prohibited by WTO rules, by providing market research information, services of training human resources and organizing promotional events ect.

In addition, the government should build a fairly competitive environment and an open business environment with the regulations in technical barriers at the border, market management and anti-contraband, imitation ... If we are not interested in strengthening the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods in the local market, until 2015, when the duty of goods from Asian region is 0% and that from China is only 0% -5%, Vietnamese goods will meet difficulties.

In the opinion of experts, Vietnamese goods have actually been greatly improved and almost essential goods produced in the country have met demands on quality and design. However, to encourage the Vietnamese to use Vietnamese goods, the local enterprises should continuously improve product quality, innovate technology, and enhance value-added products to increase competition with imported products.

To increase the link between manufacturers and distributors, besides the state management agencies, the enterprises also need the support from Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) and Industry Associations in organizing trade promotion programs and assisting businesses in seeking and expanding markets.

Currently, the EPZs - IPs have more than 1,000 enterprises in many fields of industries (in which more than 50% are domestic). To support enterprises to develop domestic market and stabilize production, HEPZA have planned to work with distributors like Co-op Mart, Big C, Lotte, Metro ...First, HEPZA will work with Metro to provide a list of enterprises that would sell goods to Metro. This will help enterprises expand the markets, stabilize production and enhance the income of employees; at the same time, this will help the distributors reduce import goods and will restrict blood flow of foreign currency abroad.