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| Businesses participating in the cooperative activities with Kinh Do Specialties |
Small Actions, Huge Advantages
In late March 2025, at the campus of Hue City Center for Investment Promotion, Trade and Enterprise Support, nearly 40 Hue-based businesses showcased a wide range of signature and specialty products, seeking opportunities to join the supply chain of Central Retail Vietnam Group. At the event, participating businesses had the chance to engage directly with partners, present their products, and take part in one-on-one consultations and pitching sessions with purchasing managers from Central Retail Vietnam.
Beyond providing a platform for businesses to connect with distributors, the Center also facilitated the signing of memoranda of understanding and supported businesses in resolving bottlenecks encountered when integrating their products into Central Retail’s distribution network.
Alongside group-based trade connections to foster stronger linkages among organizations and businesses, the Center has also brought trade promotion activities to local areas to diversify networking channels. One of the most notable initiatives was a product connection event for local produce, local specialties, and handicrafts in Quang Dien Commune. The program brought together 4 distributors and supermarket chains, along with 20 businesses, cooperatives, and local production and business establishments. Within the framework of the event, 8 memoranda of understanding were signed. In addition, the initiative helped local businesses in Quang Dien gain a clearer understanding of standards and requirements, enabling them to gradually promote and integrate their products into supply chains.
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| SBC Hoang Gia standardizing its production processes |
In reality, taking advantage of major conferences as platforms to promote and showcase local products has yielded encouraging initial outcomes. In 2025, for instance, local products were supported to participate in exhibitions at several prominent events, such as the 14th East Asia Local and Regional Government Congress and the 45th General Assembly of the International Association of Francophone Mayors… With these activities, businesses were assisted with booth design, display arrangements, business networking, and information exchange with delegates and partners. This provided Hue-based businesses with opportunities to highlight their production capacity, brand identity, and signature offerings, while expanding professional networks and tapping into potential strategic partnerships, ultimately contributing to strengthening Hue’s brand name and improving the effectiveness of trade promotion.
Supporting businesses in Brand Name Identification
Truly Hue Wood Co., Ltd. is among the businesses that have participated in most of the recent trade promotion activities organized by the Center. According to Ms. Pham Thi Dieu Huyen, the company’s Director, taking part in on-site trade promotion activities enables businesses to showcase and promote their products without incurring high costs for transportation, accommodation, and logistics typically associated with outreach programs in distant markets, thereby easing financial pressure. Direct engagement with local distributors also allows partners to more easily explore products and production processes. At the same time, businesses can promptly receive feedback and make immediate adjustments, without having to submit dossiers and wait for responses.
For many businesses, particularly startups, participating in on-site trade promotion activities is seen as a “trial run” for deeper engagement in larger-scale trade promotion efforts in the future. Establishing a foothold in the local market also helps them to raise confidence before expanding further afield. Through these programs and initiatives, numerous businesses have been able to integrate more deeply into major distribution networks such as GO! Supermarket and Kinh Do Specialty Stores…, while gaining valuable insights into market preferences to better shape their production and business strategies.
Ms. Ho Nhat Phuong, a representative of SBC Hoang Gia Co., Ltd., said that in the initial stage of seeking entry into the GO! supermarket distribution system, the company encountered numerous challenges. The most significant hurdles included completing legal documentation, meeting quality standards, and complying with stringent requirements on traceability, packaging, labeling, and demonstrating production and supply capacity. To meet these rigorous standards, in addition to internal efforts, the business also received support from the Center and relevant departments and agencies, including assistance with machinery investment, process standardization, quality control, and brand identity development. As a result, SBC Hoang Gia has not only succeeded in bringing their products into market networks but has also gradually identified their brand name, paving the way to deepen their participation to in other large-scale distribution networks.
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| Hue businesses participating in the trade fair held in Hue City |
According to the statistics released by the Center, as of 2025, the Center supported over 200 businesses, cooperatives, and trading facilities in participating in trade promotion activities. Through these initiatives, the Center facilitated direct connections with over 50 distributors, supermarket chains, and partners both domestically and internationally, while opening up numerous opportunities for cooperation, agreements, and product distribution in the period ahead. These activities have contributed to surpassing trade promotion targets for the 2021-2025 period, in terms of the number of participating businesses, the scale of programs, as well as the outcomes in partnership agreements and market expansion.
Prioritizing the Lines of High-Potential Products
According to the evaluation results of Hue City’s trade promotion program for the 2026-2030 period, during 2021-2025, product groups with strong competitive advantages and market expansion potential included OCOP products rated three to four stars, products associated with local resources and Hue’s cultural identity, and handicrafts linked to Hue’s heritage.
Based on this orientation, in the 2026-2030 period, the city’s trade promotion program will focus on supporting key product groups that are competitive, culturally distinctive, and capable of expanding into broader markets. Priority will also be given to sectors aligned with the city’s development direction in green economy, circular economy, digital economy, and tourism and services. The selection of priority products will follow a focused and targeted approach, closely linked to their capacity to participate in modern distribution chains and export markets, while ensuring alignment with the locality’s sustainable development goals.
Beyond joining domestic and international trade fairs and exhibitions, the city will actively host its own events, including local fairs, exhibitions, supply-demand conferences, and sector-focused seminars. These activities aim to better connect Hue’s products with distribution systems, investors, and potential partners.
At the same time, efforts to strengthen trade promotion capacity will be stepped up, with a focus on improving the expertise, skills, and digital readiness of officials in the field. Tailored training programs for businesses will also be rolled out, covering key areas such as brand development, market expansion, e-commerce, quality standards, and export preparedness. In parallel, businesses will receive support to enhance soft skills, build a strong corporate culture, and improve leadership capabilities, laying the groundwork for a more dynamic, globally integrated, and sustainable business community.
Additionally, to ensure the effectiveness of the city’s trade promotion program for the 2026-2030 period, trade promotion activities will be organized in a manner that closely aligns activity types with priority product groups, target locations, and expected outcomes, ensuring consistency with the city’s socio-economic development orientation, business needs, and market demands.