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<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\nRecently, traditional markets in many urban areas in Vietnam have suffered sluggish sales, forcing many small traders to give up their retail space. The reason is the rise of e-commerce, particularly following the boost it received from the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
To address this situation, authorities at various levels in many localities, notably Ho Chi Minh City, have invited online celebrities to help traders and small vendors at traditional markets by livestreaming product introductions and supporting them in selling through e-commerce.<\/p>\n To help readers better understand this situation, VietTimes spoke with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang, a lecturer at NEU.<\/p>\n Reporter: Could you explain why online sales are on the rise in the current context, while many product categories at traditional markets are experiencing sluggish sales?<\/em><\/p>\n Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang: The rise of e-commerce is an objective trend in technological development. Online sales therefore have opportunities to grow thanks to conveniences such as eliminating expensive stall rental costs, saving time, making it easy to compare products, providing clear information about quality and origin, and avoiding the need to bargain, face inflated asking prices, or overpay. Transactions are convenient, and advertising is easy.<\/p>\n Online sales thus offer a better alternative to traditional markets, as was predicted many years ago. Generation Z (those born after 1997) enjoys shopping online. When the customer base or demand grows, or grows only marginally, a rapidly increasing share of online transactions will reduce or increase the \u201csluggishness\u201d of traditional markets, supermarkets, convenience stores, central markets, small informal markets, temporary markets, sidewalk markets, and so on.<\/p>\n Reporter: What solutions do you think are needed to improve the situation so that traditional markets can survive and develop?<\/em><\/p>\n Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang: For traditional markets to survive and develop, their approach needs to change. This includes shifting their organizational model toward a combination of in-person and online operations, and linking markets with recreational, entertainment, and dining activities so that shopping can be combined with other activities unavailable at online markets.<\/p>\n There is a need to develop chains specializing in product categories that are difficult to trade online, such as bulky, heavy, unique, or unusual goods. Markets should offer competitive prices, fresh food requiring the shortest possible transportation time, fast, convenient, low-cost delivery, and bulk purchasing options. This means organizing optimal delivery routes and capitalizing on the shopping habits of traditional market customers, such as shopping early in the morning, enjoying browsing and firsthand experiences, and viewing a diverse range of stalls.<\/p>\n Reporter: Should tourism activities be combined with traditional markets?<\/em><\/p>\n Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang: Combining tourism with traditional markets is a way to attract more visitors and position traditional markets as destinations where tourists can also shop. Both types of markets need to be developed simultaneously to capitalize on their complementary strengths and deliver the greatest benefits to customers. However, for this combination to succeed, cooperation between traditional markets and tourism service businesses must be accompanied by stronger online promotion and marketing of traditional markets.<\/p>\n In any case, traditional markets will find it difficult to maintain their position amid the rise of e-commerce. They could therefore be scaled down to become more streamlined, orderly, diverse, and convenient, saving costs while also developing sales on e-commerce platforms.<\/p>\n Accordingly, traders and small vendors operating at traditional markets need training in livestreaming and online product advertising so that they can introduce products honestly, distinctively, and competitively, allowing the advantages of both types of markets to be realized. In this way, both traditional and online markets can develop strongly and deliver the greatest benefits to customers!<\/p>\n Reporter: Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n Duc Hoang<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>