Programme to help promote rural trade fairs to continue this year

The Business Studies and Assistance Centre will continue to work with local authorities to organise more rural trade fairs featuring Vietnamese products.

In other provinces, the centre will also draw up distribution maps that show where Vietnamese products can be bought. These will be modelled after the maps made for Tra Vinh Province, according to the centre.

These maps will provide essential information for businesses that need to develop a network.

Under the programme to bring Vietnamese products to rural areas, the center last year organised 54 trade fairs in 21 provinces and sales of more than VND42.3 billion (US$2.16 million).

Around 807,000 people visited the fairs, where a total of 150 companies participated.

Many locally made and grown products have become more familiar to rural consumers because of the programme, which began after export markets dipped in volume.

Tran Huu Duc, public relations manager of Dong Tam Nutrition Food Joint-Stock Company (Nutifood), said his company had learned more about the market and its distribution system, leading to high market share.

Last year, it earned VND1 trillion compared to VND600 billion in 2009, sales of which in rural areas accounted for a considerable part.

To be successful in rural areas, businesses should focus on diversifying the design of goods, increase quality, stabilise production costs and focus on after-sales service, Duc said.

Moreover, it was important to have a good understanding of Vietnamese consumers’ taste and culture, he added.

Tran Thanh Cong, sales deputy manager of Duy Tan Plastic Co.,Ltd, said that his company reviewed its distribution system via trade fairs in rural areas so that it could adopt strategies to expand its market share.

The company this year would develop new products with colours and designs that meet local demand, he said.

Chi Thanh Plastic Company, which participates in many trade fairs in rural areas, also unveiled its plan to boost sales.

Besides continuing to participate in trade fairs in rural areas, it will set up marketing teams and showrooms to market its products.

Tang Quang Trong of My Hao Tang Quang Trong of My Hao Cosmetic Company said his company would soon launch new models and products suitable to rural customers — VNS