The Saigon Commercial Co-operative Union, or Saigon Co .op has been conferred the Independence Order, second class, for its contribution to economic development on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. — VNS Photo Do Xuan Huong

HCM CITY (Bizhub) — The Saigon Commercial Co-operative Union, or Saigon Co .op, which runs supermarket chains, has been conferred the Independence Order, second class, for its contribution to economic development on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.

Speaking at the award ceremony in HCM City on May 31, Le Thanh Hai, secretary of the city Party Committee, hailed the efforts and achievements of Saigon Co.op's executives and staff over the years.

After 25 years of development, Saigon Co.op has become a leading retailer in Viet Nam and been among the top 500 Asian retailers for many years, he said.

The co-opertive now runs 70 Co.opmart supermarkets

It was also a pioneer in implementing the Government's "Vietnamese priority to use Vietnamese goods" campaign as well as price-stabilisation programmes, he added.

The co-opertive now runs 70 Co.opmart supermarkets, 77 Co.op Food stores, 175 Co.op shops, the Co.opXtraplus Thu Duc hypermarket, a trade centre named Sense City, and the HTVCo.op shopping channel.

It employs 14,000 people and serves over 300,000 customers daily.

The Independence Order is bestowed on individuals and organisations for outstanding achievements in various fields. — VNS