In compliance with the policy of HCMC People’s Committee in Official Dispatch No. 2327/UBND-KT dated April 29, 2024, the B2B and Vietnamese products week 2024 at the modern AEON distribution system takes place on December 12 to 15, 2024. This special bilingual Newsletteron this event had an interview with Mr. Tran Phu Lu, Director of HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC). We would like to respectfully introduce it to our readers.

Mr. Tran Phu Lu, Director of HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC)

ITPC newsletter: the B2B and Vietnamese products week at the modern AEON distribution system which is organized by ITPC has become an annual event expected by enterprises and consumers. ITPC has persistently held it every year. In 2024, please evaluate the effectiveness of this program.

Mr. Tran Phu Lu:the B2B and Vietnamese products week at the modern AEON distribution system has been organized by HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) since 2017 with the aim to bring practical activities in supporting the enterprises’ distribution and import-exporting activities, contributingly increasing the Vietnamese products’ coverage at home and abroad. Besides, it helps enterprises realize the necessity of improving product’s quality, design, packaging, etc to meet the standards, regulations of the largest supermarkets in Vietnam, thereby, building a lauching pad to bring Vietnamese products to international markets.

So far, ITPC and Aeon Vietnam have organized 6 sessions and during that process, we have also achieved many encouraging results. Particularly, for the B2B and Vietnamese products week at the modern AEON distribution system, on average each year, ITPC has supported more than 200enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and provinces associated with Ho Chi Minh City to have the opportunity to connect directly with purchasing units right at the Aeon Mall supermarket system, as well as support for more than 35enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City to display and promote products in the central area where the most visitors are attracted and concentrated at Aeon Mall Tan Phu. According to Aeon's evaluation report in 2023, the exhibition program attracted more than 20,000 visitors with an average of 3,000 visitors/day. This shows the program’s effectiveness not only in supporting Vietnamese enterprises but also demonstrating the success and practicality in the Aeon’s coordination and operation.

ITPC Newsletter:In your opinion, what should Vietnamese enterprises do to take advantage of opportunities when participating in trade promotion events, connecting with modern distribution systems in general and AEON in particular?

Mr. Tran Phu Lu: As I mentioned, the series of B2B and Vietnamese products week at the modern AEON distribution system is organized to support small and medium enterprises in introducing and promoting products to AEON customers, creating conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to connect with distributors, building relationships between retailers and manufacturers, suppliers through activities in coordination with state agencies, thereby contributingly promoting the Vietnamese goods’ consumption through AEON's distribution system in Vietnam.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity for AEON Vietnam to provide information and guidance to improve the suppliers’ product quality and production capacity, contributingly improving competitiveness and making a positive contribution to the development of Vietnam's economy. Therefore, we expect that businesses participating in the program will take advantage of the opportunity to introduce new products with high quality, superior features and especially at reasonable prices to meet the shopping needs of consumers as well as Aeon's purchasing representatives. This requires Vietnamese businesses to constantly improve production capacity, improve packaging, design and product quality to meet the strict inspection stages of product records and information and meet the strict standards of AEON Vietnam, thereby aiming to bring new products into the retail system of AEON Vietnam supermarkets.

At the same time, through the product exhibition program at Aeon, enterprises can survey the tastes and needs of Vietnamese consumers, thereby shaping and providing short-term strategic directions for domestic market, increasing the Vietnamese goods’ competitiveness in the retail system and major distribution channels.

ITPC Newsletter:Consumers are also looking forward to and excited to participate in the B2B and Vietnamese products week because they can buy many new and unique products while being secure about the quality with many preferential policies. Could you please tell us about the attractive things of the B2B and Vietnamese products week 2024?

Mr. Tran Phu Lu:Exclusively for customers shopping and visiting Aeon Mall Tan Phu supermarket during the program, during the B2B and Vietnamese products week at the modern AEON distribution system this year, the Organizing Committee pays special attention on the importance of the products’ quality displayed and sold at the program. These are organic products, green and clean food, and there are new products appearing for the first time. These products with full certificates have undergone Aeon's inspection process before being displayed and delivered to consumers. Therefore, consumers can completely feel assured when buying and using the products. In addition, the Week takes place close to the New Year and traditional Lunar New Year, so there will be many promotions and attractive gifts for customers who shop and visit the event. This is also an opportunity for enterprises to launch new products, gift packages for the year end with attractive incentives.

Therefore, we hope that customers will be interested in shopping and supporting the B2B and Vietnamese products week at the modern AEON distribution system organized by ITPC as well as supporting Vietnamese products at distribution and retail systems.

ITPC Newsletter:Thank you very much!