OCOP products of Hue City reach further thanks to e-commerce

Since 2018, the People’s Committee of Thua Thien Hue Province (now Hue City) has implemented the “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) program under the national framework. During this period, local authorities and residents quickly grasped market mechanisms and devoted efforts to building new brands for OCOP products. In 2020, Hue began evaluating and rating OCOP products. To date, the locality has had 115 products evaluated and recognized with OCOP stars, including 1 national 5-star OCOP product (0.9%), 19 products rated 4 stars (16.5%), and 95 products rated 3 stars (82.6%).

These products cater to a diverse range of industries, including food, beverages, herbal medicine, handicrafts, and tourism services. Many of them have become important local specialties, not only contributing to household incomes but also helping to preserve cultural identity and traditional craft villages in Hue.

Beyond product development, Hue also quickly embraced the digital transformation trend to bring OCOP products onto e-commerce platforms.

Mrs. Ho Nhat Phuong, Director of SBC Hoang Gia Co., Ltd. (Hue City), shared that her business was a pioneer in bringing bo chinh ginseng to the highlands of A Luoi to link with local people in building raw material areas, creating many products from bo chinh ginseng such as ginseng powder, ginseng flowers, ginseng water, honey-soaked ginseng, sesame candy with ginseng, ginseng candy, ginseng jam… Some of these products have been certified by Hue City People’s Committee as 3-star OCOP products.

According to Mrs. Phuong, in previous years, her company’s products were only familiar in rural markets or at specialty fairs; however, they have recently become present on major e-commerce platforms, such as Shopee and Tiki, as well as on social media platforms like TikTok Shop, Zalo, and Facebook.

“By joining e-commerce platforms, we have more proactive ways to reach customers, from product photography, livestream sales, to the use of social media, helping consumers in many provinces and cities know us better and increasing company revenue. Additionally, we utilize other distribution channels, including product introduction stores and supermarkets, to supply products to the market. Thanks to that, company revenue has always been higher year by year, with 2024 alone reaching more than VND 2 billion,” Mrs. Phuong said.

Like Mrs Phuong, Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhat Tuan, Director of Tan Nguyen One Member Co., Ltd., said that in today’s booming information technology trend, to increase consumption and expand the market, bringing OCOP products to more customer segments not only locally but nationwide and for export, the optimal solution is still to bring them onto e-commerce platforms alongside traditional distribution channels.

“Our 4-star OCOP product ‘Tan Nguyen clean fragrance’ is not only on e-commerce platforms but also linked with influencers (KOLs) and TikTokers in the food and tourism sector to livestream sales. This not only increases revenue and interactions but also promotes local culture and people,” Mr. Bao shared.

According to Mr. Tran Duc Minh, Chairman of the Hue City Young Entrepreneurs Association, e-commerce is not only a trend but has become a “vital” solution for OCOP products in the context of fierce market competition, changing consumer shopping habits, and the growing dominance of technology in consumer behavior.

“Young businesses should not stop at the production stage but must think in a multi-channel direction, from direct sales to e-commerce, from livestreaming to digital trading platforms. Utilizing digital platforms not only helps expand the market but also provides a methodical and sustainable way to build brands. We will promote the construction of online stores for each OCOP product, support businesses in livestream sales, develop digital content for social media, and connect with major e-commerce platforms, including Shopee, Tiki, and Lazada. At the same time, the association is also studying the implementation of a customer feedback evaluation system to improve service quality, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of local products and bringing OCOP specialties closer to consumers,” Mr. Minh emphasized.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hue City stated that in the coming period, the city will continue to promote digital transformation in agriculture, particularly by supporting OCOP entities in utilizing e-commerce to expand product consumption markets, thereby reaching consumers more quickly, effectively, and sustainably.

* $1 = VND 26.446 - Source: Vietcombank.