Businesses from 45 cities and provinces around Vietnam are introducing thousands of specialties at the annual Supply-Demand Connection conference that opened in Ho Chi Minh City on December 21.

The four-day event focuses on promoting links between 12 distribution systems, five e-commerce platforms, and more than 1,000 suppliers.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang said the conference connects buyers and suppliers directly, helping to cut costs, promote the distribution of goods, and create sustainable supply chains.

The total retail sales of consumption goods and services in the first eleven months in Vietnam were estimated at over VND5.66 quadrillion ($235 billion), rising 9.6 per cent year-on-year, according to Deputy Minister Thang. Ho Chi Minh City contributed over VND1.08 quadrillion ($45 billion).

On the sidelines of the conference are seminars by Amazon Global Selling Vietnam, Alibaba, Tiki, and the Data Science JSC on accessing advanced sales methods.