Trade and service industry strives to break through

Consumers choose products at the 2025 Trade Union Tet Fair.

In the context of general economic difficulties, the trade and service sector still maintains impressive resilience, becoming a bright spot in the economic picture of the whole province. In the first quarter of 2025, the total product in the area (GRDP) at 2010 comparative prices is estimated at 14,632 billion VND, up 11.86%; the industrial production index increased by 23.25% (the highest increase since 2019); total retail sales of goods and services in the first quarter of 2025 reached 21,510 billion VND, up 14.9% over the same period last year; total import-export turnover of goods reached 1,720 million USD, up 81.5% over the same period last year. The trade balance of goods had a surplus of 158 million USD... In which, the total retail sales of goods and services increased in both scale and speed compared to the same period last year and were the highest in the period 2021-2025. Supply and demand of essential goods were ensured, domestic shopping and consumption activities were promoted, contributing to maintaining the growth of trade and service activities in the province. All sectors grew evenly with retail sales of goods reaching 19,042 billion VND, accounting for 88.5% of the total and increasing by 14.4% over the same period last year; revenue from accommodation and catering services was estimated at 1,353 billion VND, accounting for 6.3% of the total, increasing by 21.2% over the same period in 2024. The accommodation industry reached 79 billion VND and 219 thousand visitors, increasing by 15.5% in revenue and 13.7% in visitors; The food and beverage industry reached 1,274 billion VND, up 21.5%. Tourism revenue was estimated at 6 billion VND and 9.3 thousand visitors, up 24.6% in revenue and 15.3% in visitors; other service revenue was estimated at 1,109 billion VND, accounting for 5.2% of the total and up 16.6% over the same period last year.

To achieve these positive results, the province has implemented a series of important solutions such as strengthening trade promotion, organizing activities to connect supply and demand with provinces and cities across the country, helping businesses expand their product consumption markets. Effectively implementing the campaign "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods", bringing Vietnamese goods closer to consumers, supporting domestic enterprises to develop sustainably; improving market management, strictly controlling supply and demand, strictly handling counterfeit, fake and poor quality goods, ensuring a healthy business environment; developing trade infrastructure; focusing on expanding the retail system in rural areas, helping people access quality goods more easily. In particular, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has actively worked with many large enterprises in the retail industry to promote the consumption of agricultural products, fresh food and specialty goods of the province such as the supermarket system: GO! Nam Dinh, Lan Chi Mart, Winmart... At the same time, advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue policies to support production, business and stimulate consumption, notably the National Concentrated Promotion Program 2024 - Vietnam Grand Sale 2024, National E-commerce Week and Vietnam Online Shopping Day - Online Friday 2024; organize trade promotion delegations abroad... These policies not only help retail businesses in the province expand their scale but also create opportunities for goods produced in the province to access international markets. Right in the first months of 2025, thanks to trade promotion programs, price stabilization and consumption stimulation before and during the Lunar New Year, protecting consumer rights, trade and service activities in the province continue to be vibrant. The increased demand for shopping and using services of the people has contributed to promoting retail sales of goods and consumer services in the province to continuously grow by double digits compared to the same period in 2024.

The province's trade and service sector is forecast to continue to maintain its growth momentum thanks to the stability of the economy and the sustainable development of commercial infrastructure. In addition, with the trend of digital transformation and the explosion of e-commerce, the retail market will have great opportunities to develop. In particular, the combination of traditional and online retail channels will be the main driving force to help businesses reach customers more effectively, while improving the shopping experience. Therefore, to support the trade and service sector to maintain its growth momentum, the province continues to direct functional sectors to implement industrial and commercial development planning plans... in conjunction with provincial planning and other specialized planning, meeting urban space planning and inter-regional infrastructure. The trade and service sector focuses on implementing policies to support businesses, encourage investment in modern trade infrastructure, expand distribution channels and improve service quality. At the same time, promote the development of multi-channel retail models, combining traditional trade and e-commerce, to meet the increasing needs of consumers. Focus on strengthening trade promotion programs, market information, stimulating consumption; promoting the distribution of goods through digital platforms and e-commerce. Support and facilitate businesses to build and promote brands, search for and expand export markets, and consume products. Build and effectively implement chains linking production, processing with distribution and consumption of products, associated with good market management, control of goods quality, strictly handle acts of commercial fraud and counterfeit goods, protect consumer rights. At the same time, focusing on attracting investment from large retail corporations, developing a modern logistics system and supply chain is also aimed at creating a solid foundation for the development of the trade and service industry in 2025 and the following years, creating a solid foundation for the trade and service industry to make breakthroughs, contributing to the province's common goal of achieving double-digit GRDP growth.

Article and photos: Nguyen Huong

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/kinh-te/202504/nganh-thuong-mai-dich-vuno-luc-but-pha-c9b11d5/