Manufacturers’ new strategies aim to compete with big foreign brands

In 2017, Biti’s Hunter, a Biti brand targeting youth, won international prizes, including Asia PR Awards and Wechoice Awards Vietnam. 

The success of Biti’s Hunter has helped revive the formerly famous Biti brand. 

The Vietnamese brand has to compete with many well known foreign brands from the US, Europe, Thailand and Japan.

Analysts say that in addition to high quality, the distribution network has played an important role in Biti’s’ success. 

The company has more than 130 marketing showrooms across the country and 1,500 sale points. Its products are available at all large supermarket chains, including Aeon, Big C, Coopmart and Lotte and online shops such as Lazada, Tiki, Shopee and Robins.

A stall set up by Vinamit, a dried fruit processor at the Hoi Cho Xanh (Green Trade Fair) held in HCM City in January was crowded with people queuing up to buy dry fruits, and chocolate-coated and yogurt-coated fruits.

Nguyen Lam Vien, chair and CEO of Vinamit, in 2018, said that Vinamit would focus on developing yogurt-coated products, and continue to provide both fresh and processed products to the domestic market. 

As part of a new strategy for the domestic market, the company will launch new products such as snacks and nutritious drinks made of fruit.

Vien said he had discovered great opportunities in the market as recent surveys found that consumers are now willing to pay for Vietnam-made high-quality products.

The director said Vinamit needs two years to ‘measure’ the market. In the immediate time, it looks forward to 30% growth rate in 2018.

Saigon Food, a strong frozen food and fresh gruel brand, has also decided to focus on the domestic market. The brand recently became the supplier of fresh meals to 7-Eleven. 

Deputy director of Sai Gon Food JSC Le Thi Thanh Lam said the company strives to have a more balanced revenue (50%/50%) from exports and the domestic market.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of Vina T&T, exporter of fresh fruits, said the biggest problem for Vietnamese manufacturers is that consumers don’t have confidence in domestic products.

In related news, a report of the Ministry of Industry and Trade shows that after the last seven years of the ‘Buy Vietnamese’ campaign, 92% of consumers now have interest in domestically made products, and 63% of consumers are choosing Vietnamese goods instead of imports.