Authorities in Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District are making efforts to support and guide small traders in traditional markets to access information, update knowledge, enhance commercial civilisation skills, increase competitiveness, and adapt to sales trends through e-commerce channels.

Many programmes to support small traders in livestreaming and selling online have been implemented in Da Nang. Photo: VAN HOANG

After many years of doing business at the Hoa Khanh Market in Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, the main source of customers of Ms. Tran My Cam, the owner of a spice and dried food stall, is marketgoers and loyal customers.

Although she and many other traders in the market see the great opportunity and potential for business development and income increase from trading activities on social networking sites and e-commerce platforms, they have not been able to access it due to many factors.

According to Ms. Cam, the implementation of online sales requires traders to ensure sales requirements on the platforms. However, traders' business capacity and access to technology are still limited.

"In addition to selling directly, I still occasionally deliver goods when I have orders. If I expand my business, I will try on live stream,” Ms. Cam shared.

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van, the owner of a clothing stall at the Hoa Khanh Market, said that compared to online sales, doing business at traditional markets is increasingly gloomy and lacking customers due to changes in consumer trends and purchasing needs. To increase sales, she implemented livestreaming on social networks, ran ads, filmed and edited videos to post on TikTok to introduce to many customers. After a period of implementation, the number of customers accessing and purchasing products has changed significantly.

“Buying and selling on social networking and e-commerce platforms is too familiar. If traders do not access quickly, they will find it difficult to compete,” Ms. Van said.

According to the Management Board of Markets in Lien Chieu District, there are 10 markets in the district, of which, Hoa Khanh, Hoa My and Nam O markets are under the management board and 7 others are managed by the People's Committees of wards.

Most of the traders in traditional markets only use social networking platforms to post sales or advertisements. Many traders are elderly, so they have limited access to technology and are not familiar with using online platforms to promote products. Also, they have no experience in communicating and interacting during live streams.

The traders' personal pages do not have a high number of followers, and the quality and design of goods currently in the market are not diverse and rich, resulting in live streams being "picky" with customers.

On the other hand, some traders do not have enough capital to invest in building online sales channels. Traceability of products to meet the requirements of the platform is still limited.

Mr. Nguyen Day, Head of the Management Board of Markets in Lien Chieu District, said that traders in traditional markets still have great potential in e-commerce, but for them to succeed, they need synchronous support from the government, businesses and practical training programmes, specifically support for skills training, initial costs of participating in e-commerce platforms, brand building, and connection with logistics systems.

In the coming time, the Management Board of Markets in Lien Chieu District will increase propaganda about the benefits, and promote information about e-commerce to raise awareness of traders. At the same time, importance will be attached to boosting digital transformation activities, applying information technology in business activities, facilitating consumers to experience and access modern payment methods, providing technical support, ensuring internet infrastructure, and giving instructions on using sales management software.

According to the Economic Office of Lien Chieu District, since November 2024, the district has coordinated with the Viet Nam E-commerce Association in Central and Central Highlands regions, and e-commerce and digital transformation solution units, to develop a plan to organise activities to promote e-commerce applications at traditional markets in the district in 2024.

Heed will be on guiding and training small traders to apply sales solutions through e-commerce; launching the digital transformation application programme at the Hoa Khanh market on December 20; and organising mega livestreams to boost the consumption of typical products and specialties of Hoa Khanh market, plus OCOP products of Lien Chieu District.

Mr. Vo Van Khanh, Head of the Viet Nam E-commerce Association in Central and Central Highlands regions, said that the unit has completed the survey and assessment of the capacity of traders at the Hoa Khanh Market as well as built a suitable training and coaching roadmap, thereby helping traders improve their skills and competitiveness, and adapt to current trends.

Along with the direction and attention of local authorities and the support of social networking platforms, the response of traders is an important factor, deciding the success of the programme.

“Implementing programmes to support small traders in developing e-commerce in Da Nang not only raises their awareness, helps them access new sales trends, but also increases the proportion of Vietnamese goods, OCOP products, and local specialties in business” Mr. Khanh shared.

Reporting by VAN HOANG - Translating by M.DUNG