OCOP point of sale - Connecting agricultural products to the market

OCOP product display and introduction point of the Northern Region Young Entrepreneurs Association of Thai Nguyen province.

Spread the network of points of sale to the grassroots

In recent years, the “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) program has not only enhanced the brand of agricultural products but also expanded the distribution network to communes, villages, and hamlets. After the merger, Thai Nguyen has 119 points of introduction and sale of OCOP products, becoming a “bridge” to help highland agricultural products get closer to consumers.

Mr. Duong Van Hoan, Deputy Director of Thai Nguyen Department of Industry and Trade, emphasized: After the merger, the number of OCOP sales points has increased significantly, becoming one of the important consumption channels. We will continue to support businesses and cooperatives to build standard booths, closely linking production with the market.

In fact, 98 points of sale in Thai Nguyen (old) and 21 points of sale in the northern region of the province have clearly demonstrated their effectiveness. From here, tea cooperatives in Thai Nguyen have stably consumed dozens of tons of products each year, helping local agricultural products expand their markets to Hanoi , Hai Phong, and Ho Chi Minh City. This is an important foundation to affirm the effectiveness of the province's OCOP.

Ms. Ha Minh Doi, Director of Ha Diep Company Limited, said: Our OCOP store not only displays and introduces the unit's 3-4 star OCOP products but also introduces and sells over 200 local and provincial specialty products. Thanks to good connections, product revenue has increased. Up to now, the unit has supplied products to many major cities and provinces such as: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong...

Display, introduction and sales point of OCOP products of Ha Diep Company Limited, Duc Xuan ward.

For Ban Viet Cooperative, according to Director Bui Thi Hai Yen, the unit has built 2 points to display, introduce and sell products of cooperatives in the province with over 300 OCOP items and specialty agricultural products. The cooperative is approaching to bring OCOP products of the northern communes and wards to the store. Thanks to the convenient location, quality products, and good promotion, the revenue from the store has increased.

The province currently has 569 OCOPs with 3 stars or more, including: 10 5-star OCOP products, 113 4-star products and 446 3-star products. The increasingly expanding network has helped Thai Nguyen's OCOP products to have a clearer presence in the market, affirming their effectiveness in increasing income and building local agricultural product brands.

Support the promotion of sustainable trade

A highlight in the implementation of OCOP in Thai Nguyen is that the province has a policy to support the construction of standard points of sale from signs, display spaces, shelves to QR codes for traceability. Thanks to that, each locality has at least one qualified OCOP introduction point, creating trust for consumers.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuan, Director of Que Thanh OCOP Cooperative, shared: We were selected to build a model of OCOP and regional specialty trading points to invest in support and better serve production and consumption in mountainous, remote and isolated areas. Over the past time, our cooperative as well as other trading points have contributed to meeting the people's demand for exchanging goods, especially OCOP products and regional specialties.

In particular, implementing the Trade Development Program for mountainous, remote and island areas in the period of 2021-2025, the Department of Industry and Trade has supported the operation of 3 points of sale of goods, OCOP products and regional specialties in Cam Giang commune, Na Leng village, Bang Thanh commune and Deo Gio sub-area, Van Tung commune. Contributing to consolidating and expanding the province's mountainous trade infrastructure.

In addition, the Department of Industry and Trade regularly organizes training courses on sales skills, marketing, brand management; supports cooperatives in designing packaging, labels, building websites, opening booths on e-commerce platforms. At the same time, it develops a tea website with integrated traceability, online payment, fanpage, and QR codes for more than 150 tea products and 100 agricultural products of 82 units, contributing to expanding the market and meeting export standards.

Mr. Bui Trong Dai, Director of Tien Yen Tea and Community Tourism Cooperative, Thai Nguyen, said: With the support of the province to open an OCOP booth, the cooperative's tea products have reached a large number of customers. In particular, when combining experiential tourism, we have signed long-term consumption contracts.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Huong, owner of the OCOP product introduction point in Pho Yen ward, since the opening of the OCOP product display and introduction booth, the number of customers has doubled, and product consumption has been stable at about 3-4 tons per year...

Customers shop at the display, introduction and sale point of the province's OCOP products.

Thai Nguyen’s OCOP products are increasingly affirming their quality and brand. If previously consumers had to go to the production area to buy tea, honey or specialty agricultural products, now they can easily order through the product introduction system and online stores.

Ms. Ngo Thi Bich Hue, Hanoi, shared: I often order Tan Cuong tea and some other OCOP products of Thai Nguyen through the province's OCOP stores online. The goods are delivered quickly, have traceability stamps, so I am very assured of the quality.

In the coming time, Thai Nguyen will continue to support the opening of more OCOP booths associated with community tourism sites, central markets, and supermarkets. At the same time, it will invest in infrastructure, encourage rest stops and restaurants to participate in the distribution system. Diversifying sales channels not only creates stable output for agricultural products but also increases income, promoting sustainable mountain trade.

With an increasingly expanding network of points of sale, Thai Nguyen OCOP products are increasingly present in the market. Success stories from production households, cooperatives, and enterprises are vivid evidence of the role of points of sale in building brands and affirming the value of local agricultural products.