areas had benefited both companies and rural consumers, delegates told a
meeting in HCM City on Sept. 23.
Initiated in
March last year by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the HCM
City-based Business Study and Assistance Centre, it sought to help
domestic producers understand rural customers, creating links between
producers, distributors and retailers, and educating rural consumers,
said Vu Kim Hanh, the centre's director.
The first
phase of the programme, which was reviewed at the meeting, saw 50 trade
fairs held in 18 provinces and sales of more than 30.4 billion VND (1.55
million USD), she said.
Around 649,300 people
visited the fairs while 132 firms were involved in the programme. More
than 2,000 small traders benefited from training courses held to improve
their sales skills.
The programme has enabled many
rural people to buy quality products at reasonable prices. For a long
time they have been accustomed to buying shoddy goods without clear
origins.
Tang Quang Trong of My Hao Cosmetic Company
said: "Through the trade fairs, rural customers know more about many of
our products. We also learnt to tailor our product models, prices,
quality and distribution system to suit consumers."
Do Hoang Nam of Namilux Company said the rural market was very promising
for gas stove makers since many people there still used coal or
firewood for cooking.
"By introducing Namilux gas
stoves in rural areas, our company has achieved strong growth in terms
of market share, especially for mini gas stoves," he said.
Hanh said the early results proved that rural areas were markets of
great potential that have never received the attention they deserve.
"Sales have been so high that even some companies have been surprised," she said.
The second phase of the programme, which opened this month, would see
the distribution of goods in more provinces and districts and
organisation of more training courses for traders, Hanh said.
She urged the ministry to encourage enterprises taking part in the programme for the first time./.
