The Chợ Quen platform has begun pilot operations at Linh Lang and Thanh Cong markets in Hanoi's Giang Vo area. It gives small traders another channel to present their goods and reach new customers without requiring major changes to their usual way of selling.
Hoang Dinh Thanh, head of Market Management Board No. 2 in Giang Vo, said the area currently has two markets: Linh Lang has 76 trading households, while Thanh Cong has more than 200. The market 4.0 model is being piloted at both sites by the market management board and the developer of Chợ Quen.
The traders were previously informed about the project and shown how to use the platform. About 30–40% of sellers at the two markets have now registered and uploaded their goods.
“During the first year, trading households will use the service free of charge. After that, the fee will be considered based on business performance. The market management board plans to continue explaining the platform and helping each stall, with the goal of having 100% of traders join,” Thanh said.
He said the market management board directly and closely monitors the origin of goods and food safety for products sold through Chợ Quen.
For example, the board provided a list of slaughterhouses licensed under Hanoi regulations. Traders must have purchase and sales contracts with eligible facilities. Pork, beef and other goods from those facilities must be checked by veterinary and animal-husbandry authorities and carry an inspection mark. Other goods at the markets are checked in a similar way.
Le Kim Hoa, a poultry seller at Linh Lang market, registered for Chợ Quen and welcomed the new model. She said an additional sales channel on a digital platform could make things easier for both buyers and sellers. Buyers can view goods, place orders in advance and collect them at a convenient time. Advance orders also give sellers time to prepare and package purchases so they can hand them over immediately when customers arrive.
“Business at traditional markets is very slow now. We hope that putting photos, information and prices online through the market 4.0 platform will help us reach new customers, especially younger people,” Hoa said.
Personal shopping and home delivery
Trinh Thu Huong, director of Times Media, the company that developed Chợ Quen, said the platform is not intended to force traders to change how they sell. Instead, it uses technology to help them do more with their existing business.
At the first stage, each trader gets a digital storefront to display goods and receive orders. Sellers continue trading at their stalls, and their familiar relationships with buyers remain in place. The technology simply adds a new storefront to the customer's phone.
The model also includes pick-up services, which gather goods from different stalls, and personal shopping services. These services have begun pilot operations at Thanh Cong market.
Customers can order from several stalls at once or prepare a shopping list from the available menu and ask someone to shop for them. An employee visits each stall, collects the goods and brings them to one collection point. Customers can arrange a collection time or request home delivery.
“The collection point has a refrigerated cabinet for fresh food, while goods that do not need refrigeration are placed on shelves,” Huong said.
After the pilot period, if the model operates effectively, the platform may work with local authorities to expand digital markets to other wards in Hanoi. The services for collecting goods, personal shopping and delivery will also be further developed and expanded.
Sources: Thanh Niên
