The Viet Nam E-Commerce Association (VECOM) and Thailand-based Reed Tradex Co., Ltd on July 5 signed an agreement to organise offline to online events at “OnlineBiz Vietnam” to be held next year.

“OnlineBiz Vietnam 2019” is a special feature of “Shop & Store Vietnam 2019,” which will showcase advanced e-commerce platforms and solutions for retail and consumer goods.

Nguyen Ngoc Dung, vice president of VECOM, said Viet Nam’s e-commerce revenue is expected to grow by 35 per cent this year.

With a young, tech-savvy population with high consumption demand, e-commerce in Viet Nam has plenty of potential to grow, he said.

Suttisak Wilanan, deputy managing director of Reed Tradex, said the launch of OnlineBiz Vietnam would complement Shop&Store Vietnam to serve both online and offline retail.

This annual event will be a unique B2B platform for retailers who look for omni-channel solutions to maximise their customer experiences, he said.

“I have no doubt that all Vietnamese entrepreneurs will use tomorrow’s technologies, networks and services to boost success to a higher level.

“With co-operation from the Viet Nam E-Commerce Association, all the participants at the event can discover the latest retail trends and innovations, build networks, and get insights and tips from specialists at an e-commerce seminar held concurrently.”

Lieu Hung Tien, sales director of Haravan, said the relationship between sellers and buyers had changed with time, so businesses must adopt new and modern technologies to suit the changes.

He advised businesses to adopt “omni-channel commerce” since customers interact with businesses via multiple channels, he said.

Dung said that many traditional businesses have also gradually brought their products to trade on e-commerce channels.

In March, Reed Tradex held the first Shop & Store Vietnam, a conference and exhibition on the retail and franchise industry, in HCM City.

The event attracted over 70 brands from 18 countries and regions, and three international group pavilions from Thailand, Singapore and Japan, and more than 3,294 trade buyers from 24 countries and territories.

The Online-Biz Viet Nam 2019 and Shop&Store Vietnam 2019 will be held at Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre from March 27 to 29 next year, and are expected to have a 20 per cent larger scale compared to this year’s.

According to the Global Retail Development Index, released by the US management consulting firm A. T. Kearney, Việt Nam jumped five places from 2016 to rank sixth in 2017.— VNS