Vietnam’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and business households can seize the opportunity to improve their online business capacity through joining an online three-day Retail University program this April.

The VECOM representatives and its partners attend the ceremony on March 30 in Hanoi. Photo: Phi Nhat

The program is jointly held on April 7, 8 and 9 by the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) in coordination with Google, Sapo (a completely free sales management application), Visa, EMS and the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC).

The program is part of the Retail University project, which helps the Vietnamese retailers to take advantage of the Vietnamese digital market platforms’ potential.

Groups selected for this program include those who have been using Sapo's services, Nguyen Thanh Hung, Chairman of the VECOM told the program’s kick-off ceremony on March 30 in Hanoi.

The event follows the success of the pilot program that was launched in November and December 2020, focusing on individuals and SMEs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of more than 700 participants.

“More than 60% of learners reported that their businesses achieved revenue growth after attending this program,” Doan Quoc Tam, International Relations & Cooperation Department of the VECOM, told Hanoitimes.

"From this success, we continue to upgrade our online program for businesses with the support of partners such as Google, Sapo, NIC, Visa and EMS,” he said.

In 2020, Vietnam's e-commerce was estimated to grow about 15%, reaching a scale of about US$13.2 billion. It is predicted to keep developing steadily in 2021 and the subsequent years until 2025.

“This is a potential for local retail businesses to expand their scale on the online channel,” said Hung from the VECOM.