With 53 per cent of its population using the internet and nearly 50 million smartphone subscribers, Vietnam’s e-commerce market is expected to beat the previous revenue forecast of $10 billion in 2020 and may reach $15 billion, according to experts. The country’s e-commerce sector records annual average growth of 35 per cent; 2.5 times higher than the figure in Japan, making it one of the countries with the fastest e-commerce growth in the world.
Mr. Dang Hoang Hai, Director of the E-Commerce and Information Technology Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as saying that retail sales from e-commerce earned $8 billion in 2018, much higher than the forecasted figure of $7 billion.
Therefore, revenue from e-commerce in 2020 could surpass the projected $10 billion, he said.
A report on online shopping in 2018 conducted by market researchers Q&Me shows that Shopee accounts for the lion’s share of the domestic e-commerce market, at 35 per cent, with over 700 active brands and sellers, according to the news agency.
It quoted Mr. Le Anh Huy, Deputy General Director of the Sen Do Technology JSC, the operator of the Sendo online commerce platform, as reporting that it recorded a threefold surge in 2018 over the previous year, serving more than 10 million consumers around the country.
Experts have said, however, that e-commerce in Vietnam still faces various obstacles, including legal issues, skills for e-commerce development, security rights for concerned parties, and infrastructure for the sector.
Support for e-commerce development in Vietnam’s remote and mountainous regions also remains modest.
According to experts, Vietnam should consider the establishment of a State management agency to tackle those challenges and bolster the development of logistics in line with the digital economy, or assign such tasks to a ministry.
Vietnam should also regularly update its legal system as well as develop synchronous infrastructure and a national payment system for e-commerce development, the experts suggested.