For the first time, Vietnamese rice is available in French stores

DNHN - For the first time, rice goods have introduced the brand name of rice inside the framework of the program to promote Vietnamese companies in France, such as "Vietnamese Goods Week," "Vietnamese Lunar New Year Week," and "Vietnam Mid-Autumn Festival." French customers were introduced to the brand name "Vietnamese Rice."

Mr Nguyen Duy Thuan, General Director of the Loc Troi rice group, stated that Loc Troi was the first rice exporter to Europe under the Vietnam-Europe Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) two years ago, but today is the first time Loc Troi rice is on the shelves of E.Leclerc stores in France.

"After two years, the company has acquired the trust of wholesalers and retailers, allowing it to place items directly on supermarket shelves in Paris. This is both a success and a recognition. Vietnamese farmers have worked hard to produce and export rice that is both tasty and of European quality "Mr Thuan stated.

Mr Thierry Jodet, General Director of E.Leclerc Viry Châtillon, stated: "The group selects Vietnam's 'Loc Troi' rice because it fits the company's standards for quality, flavour, and affordability. That is why, this year, we chose Vietnamese rice, partly to introduce it to our clients who may not be familiar with it, and partly to contribute to the diversity of Asian items in our supermarket network."

The Carrefour and E.Leclerc distribution systems serve around 800 hypermarkets and over 3,000 supermarkets and convenience store chains across France; they are the initial, long-term, and prospective stages for Vietnamese rice to establish its brand in the global arena.

The week of the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, according to Mr Vu Anh Son, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in France, is part of a long-term plan developed by the Trade Office and reported to the Embassy and the governing body of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to promote publicity and spread the culture, cuisine, and image of Vietnam in the French market.

These are significant activities that are at the forefront of consumer orientation in each market. Rice is an important item in the strategy to encourage Vietnamese businesses to join global distribution networks.

The process of defining goals, developing a plan, negotiating a contract, and officially hitting the shelves in France took nearly two years, with the help of the Europe-America Market Department, the Trade Promotion Agency - Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnamese Ambassador to France, and the unwavering efforts of Vietnamese enterprises.

Europe in general, and France in particular, are intrinsically tough markets with extremely stringent product quality standards. The progressive introduction of Vietnamese goods to international distribution chains, to local customers, under the Vietnamese brand name is a successful and sustainable strategy for exporting commodities, and is especially important in the development of "Vietnam's national brand."

This activity also has a beneficial directional influence on the Vietnamese business community, laying the groundwork for enterprises to shift toward manufacturing items with added value and developing a long-term development strategy.

Lam Nghi