Boxes of Ngoc Linh ginseng essence with honey attracted many visitors at the display counter of Tay Nguyen Herbal Company Limited during the "Vietnam Trade Connection Week and Product Introduction Space" organized by SATRA in Ho Chi Minh City on 18/6.

Mr. Duong Trong Duc, a company representative, stated that their product has been exported to the US, Europe, and China for nearly 9 years. Ngoc Linh ginseng essence currently costs approximately 1,000,000 VND per kg, but its journey into modern domestic retail systems remains challenging.

According to Mr. Duc, a small business might take three to six months to complete documentation, proving product origin, quality, and supply capacity before even being considered for a partnership. "Directly approaching the purchasing departments of retail systems is very difficult," he stated.

Organic coffee at the Vietnam Trade Connection Week and Product Introduction Space at Centre Mall Vo Van Kiet. Photo: Thi Ha

Golden Bean Coffee Joint Stock Company faces a similar challenge. Despite exporting organic coffee to demanding markets such as the US, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, the company struggles to expand its domestic market through modern distribution systems.

Many businesses believe that connection programs can address this bottleneck by enabling direct meetings with distributors. These programs also allow retailers to review products and legal documentation in advance, significantly shortening market access time.

Mr. Le Anh Hoang, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center (ITPC), stated that his unit organizes 4-5 connection programs with modern distribution systems annually. Each round attracts about 100 registered businesses, with 40-50 selected after screening. He noted that over 80% of businesses participating in previous programs successfully connected with retail systems.

For the current program, organizers arranged dedicated spaces for businesses to showcase products and engage directly with the purchasing departments of retail systems.

Mr. Lam Quoc Thanh, General Director of SATRA, believes that integrating Vietnamese products into modern distribution systems is an urgent requirement, especially as domestic consumption serves as a key economic growth driver.

He added that these dedicated spaces help businesses overcome standard barriers and allow retailers to directly assess consumption potential before committing to a partnership.

Thi Ha