(VOVworld) - Launched 5 years ago, the campaign to persuade Vietnamese people to buy Vietnamese products has changed the way local consumers think about made-in-Vietnam goods. Moreover, it has improved the awareness of the domestic business community about the importance of the local market.

Customers of Hanoi–based Fivimart have noticed that Vietnamese products occupy most of the shelf space in the supermarket. Many domestic brands are displayed in prominent locations to attract the attention of customers. Clothes, textile products, footwear, electronic devices, and Vietnamese foods are the most in demand. Nguyen Thi Nga who lives in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung district comments:“Made-in-Vietnam goods now account for up to 90% because of reasonable prices and high quality. Generally, my family and neighbors prefer to buy domestic products.”

Vietnamese products have been more favored. (Photo: Trung Kien- hanoimoi.com)

The Fivimart in Ly Thai To street is one of 14 supermarkets of the Nhat Nam Joint Stock Company that have responded to the campaign. In recent years, made-in-Vietnam goods have accounted for a big part of the supermarket’s turnover. Last year alone, earnings from local commodities increased 31%. Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, the company’s director, has this to say: “We always offer preferential policies for Vietnamese companies, especially those with prestigious brands. To date, most commodities displayed in the Fivimart supermarket system are well-known brands of Vietnam. We find that customers who come to the supermarkets look for such products”.

Vietnamese goods make up around 95% of total sales at supermarkets in Hanoi. Advertisements, trade fairs promoting high-quality Vietnamese goods, and programs to distribute goods to rural areas have helped make consumers more familiar with Vietnamese brands. Deputy Director General of Big C supermarket, Nguyen Thai Dung says: “Domestic confectionary suppliers have displaced importers from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Purchases of imported products such as beef have fallen off and consumers now tend to buy locally made goods.”

A report released by the campaign's steering committee at a recent review meeting in Hanoi showed that businesses’ response to the campaign has positively influenced the entire society and contributed to national socio-economic growth.