Fast moving consumer goods company

The pandemic has pushed forward the trends of e-commerce in Vietnam 2-3 years earlier than forecast with the sector growing in size four times over last year, according to a 2021 Lazada report. “Some of the e-commerce trends we expected would happen in 2025, such as in edutech and fintech, have already happened in 2022,” noted Nguyen Huy Hoang, chief business officer at OnPoint E-commerce. “Hence, all e-commerce platform companies are investing hugely in Vietnam.” However, as shopping centres and small brick-and-mortar stores are now reopened, many investors are concerned that the boom in e-commerce was just a short-term fad and the majority of consumers could quickly shift back to offline shopping. On May 12 at the Vietnam Online Business Forum, the general consensus amongst experts was that e-commerce will continue to boost the economy after the pandemic. Specifically, in the first quarter of 2022, the industry saw more than 8 million new online consumers. A survey … [Read more...] about All to play for in e-commerce rise

Many retailers in phone and electronics segments focus on developing online channels to survive during the coronavirus pandemic period. To survive adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic, many Vietnamese tech retailers have quickly boosted their sales on online platforms as their physical stores nationwide have to close until April 15 to comply with the prime ministerial directive stipulating measures to combat the pandemic. Photo: MWG Significant demand on tech products Mobile World Investment JSC (MWG), the largest tech retailer in Vietnam, saw a surge in demand in online shopping since the beginning of April as more than 10% of its 2,000 phone and electronics stores, mainly in Hanoi, have to close. Dang Thanh Phong, PR manager of MWG, told Hanoitimes that its revenue from online sales accounted for 13% of the total phone and electronics revenue in March, higher than that of the previous months. Due to the closure of its stores, sales in … [Read more...] about Vietnamese tech retailers manage to survive Covid-19 pandemic

Car sales in the world's largest auto market have slowed dramatically, gamers are buying fewer consoles, and people are unwilling to replace their existing smartphones, laptops and TVs, as prolonged Covid curbs crimp spending power and put more people out of jobs. "The current China lockdowns ... has implications to both supply and demand," said Colette Kress, chief financial officer at U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, which forecast on Thursday a $400 million hit to gaming sales from China's stringent coronavirus restrictions. "You have very large cities that are in full lockdown, focusing really on other important things for the citizens there. So it's impacting our demand. At least 14 analysts have cut their price targets on Nvidia following its latest earnings report, with the median price target now standing at $300, according to Refinitiv data. In line with China's zero-Covid approach, Beijing, with its 22 million population, has clamped down on workplace attendance. Shanghai, the … [Read more...] about Global firms warn of sluggish China demand due to lengthy Covid curbs

Global food prices are expected to keep on rising this year due to the Ukraine conflict and other factors, Photo: Thanh Tung China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on May 11 that the consumer price index (CPI), the main measure of inflation and retail sales, increased by 2.1 per cent on-year in 2021 due to the impact of the recession and skyrocketing energy costs and food prices. Data released by the General Administration of Customs of China on April 13 recorded a decrease in China’s imports for the first time since August 2020. In March, China’s imports fell 0.1 per cent on-year. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Sy Cuong from the Academy of Finance warned last week, “Along with the conflict in Ukraine, China’s economic difficulties could exacerbate inflationary pressures in Vietnam.” China’s slowing growth is clearly felt by many manufacturing and export industries of Vietnam. Pham Van Viet, president of garment firm VitaJean Co., Ltd., said, “Restrictions on raw materials … [Read more...] about Global effects mar control of inflation

Vietnam expecting to spend even more on imports - illustration photo Southeast Asia is facing rising inflation, a problem that is exacerbated by the failure of energy and food prices to fall. Last month, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) tightened monetary policy for the third time since October to deal with inflation that is expected to heat up. According to analysts, the MAS has redefined the midpoint of the popular exchange rate policy band and slightly increased the slope of currency appreciation to help the Singapore dollar strengthen against the currencies of other countries. However, the MAS did not change the width of its policy band – a move the institution usually would take when markets are volatile. As a result, the Singapore dollar rose about 0.5 per cent to $1.35 after the MAS’ move. The agency considered the possibility that core inflation would pick up sharply in the coming months, before being revised later this year, due to the sharp increase in … [Read more...] about Vietnam expecting to spend even more on imports

Petrol retail prices in the country have been adjusted many times over the past few months, Photo: Le Toan In Vietnam, gasoline prices continue to increase, and after the adjustment on May 11 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Finance, each litre of E5 RON92 petrol increased by 6.5 US cents to $1.26 per litre while RON95 climbed by 6.7 US cents to $1.30 per litre. On May 17, the price of US WTI crude oil remained at a high level of over $114 per barrel while Brent oil maintained its upward momentum at $114.28 per barrel. Before the next adjustment, which was due on May 21, petrol prices in Vietnam were forecast to continue to increase to higher levels. The ministries first adjusted gasoline prices on January 11 due to a decrease in global supply, production output by Kazakhstan and Libya, and oil inventories of the United States. According to Decree No.95/2021/ND-CP, effective from January, there will be three adjustments each month to the … [Read more...] about Vietnam riding the wave of inflationary unpredictability

In May and June, the terraced fields in Sín Chải are filled with water as locals begin transplanting rice. VNS Photo Thanh Mai Thanh Nga Sín Chải is a beautiful village in Sa Pa Town, Lào Cai Province, that still retains the rustic simplicity of a mountainous village. The village belongs to Hoàng Liên Commune, located about 4km from the centre of Sa Pa. Although located right next to Cát Cát, a famous community-based cultural tourism village of the town, Sín Chải is still pristine and quiet compared to the neighbouring village. It lies at the foot of the Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range, surrounded by vast hills. It has been the home of the Mông ethnic minority for generations. For Hanoian Ngô Thanh Mai, who loves to visit Sa Pa, Sín Chải is special because of its tranquillity, charming terraced fields and friendliness of locals. “I always see friendly smiles when I walk into the village. There are many beautiful terraced fields here. I like the peaceful life of … [Read more...] about The remote, rustic beauty of Sín Chải Village