Australian supermarket chain eyes Vietnamese market

VGP - Australia’s Woolworths supermarket group is to survey the Vietnamese market and enter negotiations with 33 companies in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh cities from March 11 to 20 on the purchase of made-in Vietnam products.

March 11, 2009 8:20 AM GMT+7

The Vietnamese Trade Councilor in Sidney said the negotiations will enable Woolworths to directly buy Vietnamese products and distribute them to its supermarkets all over Australia.

According to Việt Nam’s Trade Office in Australia, Woolworths wants to buy from Việt Nam products like rice, dried and canned fruits, coffee, tea parcels, canned fish, vegetables, mushrooms, peanuts and frozen seafood.

The Office said that since last November it has worked with Woolworths on an agenda for negotiations between the group and Vietnamese businesses.

At the same time, the Trade Promotion Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade has selected high profile exporters to hold talks with Woolworth representatives.

Founded in 1924, Woolworths is the largest retail group in Australia with 700 supermarkets. Its customers average 13 million per week. The group last year earned AU $42 billion revenues (equivalent to US $32 billion) and has an annual growth rate of 10%.

By Ngọc Vân