Promoting the role of the domestic market

Workers complete products at Hoa Hieu Woodworking Factory, Hoang Hoa Commune.

The telling figures show that Thanh Hoa 's domestic market is not only large in quantity but also increasingly deep in quality. According to the Department of Industry and Trade, the total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in 2024 will reach about 177,000 billion VND, an increase of more than 11% compared to 2023. Notably, the proportion of consumption of locally produced goods will reach about 37%, clearly reflecting the trend that consumers are increasingly prioritizing the use of local products. This is not only a positive signal for production and trade activities, but also demonstrates a positive shift in consumer awareness.

Not only large enterprises, many cooperatives and small-scale production facilities are also finding room for development right in their home market. In Ba Thuoc commune, ECO Ba Thuoc Agricultural Cooperative has built an organic vegetable growing model according to VietGAP standards. Every week, hundreds of kilograms of fresh vegetables are transported to the city for distribution to restaurants, collective kitchens... in the province. In the first 6 months of 2025 alone, the output consumed within the province reached over 10 tons, accounting for nearly 70% of the total output of the cooperative. Mr. Nguyen Vu Hung, representative of the cooperative, shared: "Instead of just relying on orders from Hanoi or export, we focus on building a local consumption chain, which is less risky and connects local people with local agricultural products."

In Hoang Hoa commune, Hoa Hieu wooden furniture manufacturing facility is showing a sustainable direction when focusing on developing right in the domestic market. With more than 20 employees, the facility specializes in manufacturing wooden household and interior products such as tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, altars, etc. according to orders from people in the province. Instead of investing heavily in advertising, the facility focuses on craftsmanship, designs that suit tastes, and home delivery within the province. On average, each month, the facility sells 25-30 large and small products, with stable revenue thanks to the increasingly expanding middle-class customer base in the province. "Domestic customers are easy to take care of, easy to maintain warranty, and will come back to buy again if satisfied. Sticking to the nearby market, I am more proactive in terms of cash flow and labor," said the facility owner Nguyen Van Hieu.

It is undeniable that the consumers in the province with increasingly smart and alert shopping awareness are contributing to changing the production and distribution mindset of local enterprises. However, in order for the domestic market to truly play its role as a "pillar", it is necessary to look directly at the existing bottlenecks. First of all, the commercial infrastructure in many rural and mountainous areas is still lacking and weak. Many areas do not have modern points of sale, while local goods are mainly distributed through traditional channels. The lack of regional linkages in intra-provincial consumption also makes it difficult for products to "leave the commune" to reach consumers in central cities. In addition, most enterprises and cooperatives are small-scale, lack the capacity to build brands, and do not have a long-term communication strategy. The application of digital transformation, distribution through online platforms, and e-commerce connections is still fragmented. The situation of producing what one has, not what the market needs, still occurs, making it difficult for goods to find a sustainable foothold.

Thanh Hoa province is currently implementing many solutions to remove these bottlenecks. One of the focuses is to encourage the development of modern distribution systems in rural and mountainous areas, creating conditions for businesses and cooperatives to expand Vietnamese sales points. At the same time, programs such as "Bringing Vietnamese goods to the countryside", "Vietnamese goods fair", OCOP fair... will continue to be organized more regularly, associated with in-depth domestic trade promotion activities for each region and each product line.

In addition, the province will also promote support for businesses in digital transformation and the application of e-commerce in the distribution of local products. The establishment of a separate e-commerce platform for OCOP products and specialty agricultural products of the province is being researched and implemented, aiming to increase the coverage of local goods in the digital environment. Along with that, communication activities, raising consumer awareness of local goods from quality, community value to environmental protection will also be promoted to create "pull" from the market.

In the long-term economic development strategy, the domestic market is the “foundation” for businesses to stabilize production, expand scale and gradually improve product quality. When homegrown consumers become the most sustainable supporters, each local business and product will have more opportunities to confidently enter the larger market.

Article and photos: Chi Pham

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-huy-vai-tro-thi-truong-noi-dia-257572.htm