Hanoi (VNA) – The world’s leading e-commerce player, Amazon,is scoping out the Vietnamese market, hoping to benefit local consumers andenterprises.

If Amazon’s plan is materialised, Vietnam would be its second SoutheastAsian market, following Singapore.

Vuong Manh Hoang, CEO of Digital Service Integration JSC, said that Amazonaims to help Vietnamese enterprises export their products to the US through theplatform rather than promoting US products in Vietnam.

He told a Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reporter that Amazon wouldfacilitate Vietnamese exports to the US, which he said, have met variousbarriers regarding procedures.

Amazon will work with local units to churn out Amazon-branded productsin Vietnam, he noted.

Making up 42 percent of the US’s e-commerce market share, and withexperience in automatic management, goods transportation, warehouse building,consumer assessment and barcode technology, Amazon is expected to help boostVietnam’s e-commerce, Hoang added.

He highlighted the popularity of online payments and better goodstransportation infrastructure in Vietnam as favourable conditions for Amazon tolaunch services in the country, adding that there are many online shoppingwebsites in Vietnam but their prestige is low.

Tuan Ha, CEO of Vinalink, a digital marketing training and researchcentre, said Amazon’s presence in Vietnam may open up opportunities forVietnamese to sell their products through the platform.

He also noted the possibility that Amazon will seek partners inlogistics or launch an online shopping site in Vietnamese.

Vietnam is an attractive destination for e-commerce players since thecountry ranks 15th worldwide in the number of internet users, or 53percent of its population. The number of smartphone users in the country alsostands at nearly 50 million.

According to the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM), Vietnam’se-commerce market grew by more than 25percentin 2017  and the pace could bemaintained during 2018-2020.

Aware of Vietnam’s great potential in e-commerce, ChineseAlibaba Group increased its shares in Lazada, an onlineshopping site located in Southeast Asia,from 51 percent to 83 percent.

During a meeting with leaders of the State Bank ofVietnam (SBV), Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group Jack Ma expressed his hope for cooperationwith a number of Vietnamese companies operating in Fintech Payment.

Alipay,Alibaba’s mobile and online payment platform, signed a strategic agreement withNAPAS, the first and unique intermediary payment serviceprovider being granted license by the SBV of providing switching and electronic clearing andsettlement services in Vietnam.

Central Group also purchased Zalora, a leading online fashion shop in SoutheastAsia.

Arepresentative from VECOM said the Vietnamese e-commerce market is forecast tosee fierce competition to attract consumers and gain market share in the nearfuture.-VNA