Holding Vietnam Market Seminar and Business Matching Meeting

March 2016

Based on the activity of “the Council to Promote JETRO-Convenience Store Collaboration,” established this January, JETRO held the Vietnam Market Seminar, a market tour and a business matching event in Ho Chi Minh from March 20 to 21.

This event is one part of a trial sales project conducted by Japanese-affiliated companies in Vietnam, the purpose of which is to promote overseas expansion of Japanese convenience stores, as well as to increase sales of excellent, made-in-Japan products such as food and commodities.

During the seminar on March 20, Trade Minister Motoo Hayashi gave special guest remarks, announcing the following plan: “Japan Fairs are to be held at up to 200 Japanese convenience stores in Vietnam in autumn of this year to sell around 50 to 60 made-in-Japan products on a trial basis, co-hosted by JETRO, FamilyMart and Ministop.” In his own greeting, JETRO Chairman and CEO Hiroyuki Ishige stated the following: “In accordance with Japan Fairs in Vietnam, we would also like to jointly promote Japanese agricultural products, goods from areas recovering from natural disasters, and media content. Hence, we at JETRO will begin open recruitment of Japanese companies in the second half of this April toward the launch of the fairs.” Further, the presidents of FamilyMart and Ministop, Isamu Nakayama and Naoyuki Miyashita, both conveyed their enthusiasm toward expanding sales of Japanese services, food and commodities within Vietnam.

After that, Hirotake Nakanishi, President of Japan Logistic Systems Corp, introduced his company’s high-performance distribution warehouses located in-country. He was followed by the General Director of FamilyMart Vietnam, General Director of Ministop Vietnam, General Director of Aeon Vietnam and a company director of Thien Ha Kameda, who each took the podium to explain their respective business plans in Vietnam and the prospects of the Vietnamese market. Overall, the seminar demonstrated an “all-Japan” effort by both the public and private sectors.

Business matching talks were held on March 21. From Japan, 15 companies including from agricultural and fishery industries and fields related to daily commodities took part. They had talks with about 20 local buyers.

In a delegation led by Minister Hayashi, 16 Japanese companies visited local convenience stores including FamilyMart and Ministop, a local supermarket of Aeon as well as a high-performance warehouse.