Consumers opt for local goods   Customers shop at Phan Thiet Co.op Mart in Binh Thuan Province. Local products have won Vietnamese consumers' favour following the "Vietnamese give priority to Vietnamese goods" campaign. -VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyet HA NOI (CNS)  -Locally-made products have won consumers' favour since a campaign entitled "Vietnamese give priority to Vietnamese goods" was launched five years ago. Nguyen Thien Nhan, chairman of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) central committee, made this remark at a conference in HCM City this week to review the five-year implementation of the campaign, which, he said, helped change Vietnamese consumers' awareness of local products. Apart from generating more jobs and raising incomes for labourers, the campaign had contributed to the establishment of a production and supply chain, said Nhan, also head of the campaign's central steering committee. He added that under the programme, all cities and provinces would be building communication channels with a "Proud of Vietnamese goods" slogan by 2020. The programme also aims to raise Vietnamese products' market share in traditional supply channels in remote rural areas to 80 per cent, revealed Nhan. To realise these targets, the VFF chairman required concerned ministries, branches and localities to roll out concrete programmes and plans to further popularise the campaign in the future. He urged enterprises to accelerate scientific-technological applications while improving the quality and competitive edge of products and services. A Nielsen Company survey revealed that up to 90 per cent of consumers in HCM City and 83 per cent in Ha Noi said they would choose Vietnamese goods. A report of the municipal, city and provincial steering committees of the campaign also confirmed this and showed that Vietnamese consumers appreciated locally-made products. In numerous localities, about 80 per cent of the Vietnamese people expressed preference for made-in-Viet Nam garment and footwear products while 58 per cent chose local food and vegetables. A programme linking businesses with commercial banks was simultaneously launched in the districts and provinces and has helped to provide for more than 1,000 business households experiencing financial difficulties. In addition, the HCM City People's Committee has approved 98 projects for stimulus consumption worth VND7 trillion. Of this figure, a VND3.7-trillion loan came from the city budget. However, participants at the event also pointed out a range of bottlenecks hindering the implementation of the campaign, such as cumbersome procedures, fake products and loose coordination between businesses, producers and distributors. Last July, a survey of the Institute of Public Opinion Research revealed that 63 per cent of Vietnamese consumers ranked Vietnamese goods as their first choice whenever they went shopping. This represents a four – per cent increase over that of 2010. The survey also showed that 92 per cent of Vietnamese consumers expressed interest in the programme. Le Ba Trinh, VFF vice chairman, said that previously, Vietnamese goods accounted for a very modest volume in supermarkets and shops but now, it has accounted for at least 80 to 90 per cent. The Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group reported that after five years of implementing the prgramme, its local revenues changed drastically. It is expected that this year, its local revenues will reach VND22 trillion, a 10 – to 15-per cent year-on-year increase. The group's export turnover this year is also expected to reach $24.5 billion, or $1billion more than it predicted early this year. Also, Vietnamese goods have secured a firm foothold in big cities such as Ha Noi and HCM City. Nguyen Thi Hong, vice chairwoman of the HCM City People's Committee, said that after five years, Vietnamese consumers had expressed appreciation for locally-made products. She added that Vietnamese consumers now favoured numerous products such as garments, textiles and footwear. The programme steering committee has set a target of 80 per cent of market share in traditional distribution channels in far-flung rural areas by 2020. To reach this target, Trinh said domestic businesses should continue promoting communication campaigns and raising consumers' awareness, as well as expand their distribution channels and enhance their competitiveness to establish a firm foothold in the domestic market. -VNS