Speaking at the event, Chairwoman of theAssociation of Vietnam Retailers (AVR) Dinh Thi My Loan said 2017 marks the 10th founding anniversary of the AVR and 10 years since Vietnam entered the WorldTrade Organisation.
Over the past decade, the AVR has strived todevelop a modern and consumer-oriented retail industry, served as a bridgebetween manufacturers and consumers and spread the campaign “Vietnameseprioritise Vietnamese goods”.
Hoang Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Ministryof Industry and Trade’s Domestic Market Department, said the AVR now has 216members compared to 100 at its establishment.
He lauded the AVR for connecting its memberswith State management agencies, giving feedback on retail-related laws andpolicies and refining policies on managing foreign retailers.
As a member of the domestic market monitoringgroup, the AVR has directed member firms to deal with fluctuations in marketsand held seminars discussing Vietnamese goods in the modern retail system.
In 2017, Vietnam jumped five spots to sixthplace in the 2017 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) released by the US’smanagement consulting firm A.T. Kearney. The country was also among the top 30developing countries for retail investment worldwide.
With favourable government policies,urbanisation, a growing middle class and a relatively young population, foreignretailers are positive about the country, according to A.T. Kearney.-VNA