OCOP Products: Expanding Markets Through E-commerce Platforms
Sunday, 15/11/2026, 17:18 (GMT+7)
(DTO) Many OCOP producers in Dong Thap are gradually changing their business practices, bringing locally distinctive products to e-commerce platforms. Besides reaching more customers, online sales also help promote brands and increase product value.
In recent years, many local production facilities have proactively embraced digital business platforms. Rather than relying solely on local customers and traditional distribution networks, producers are gradually listing their products on e-commerce platforms to expand their markets.
As one of the local producers of specialty products, Mam Ba Hai Diem Co., Ltd. in Phu Thanh Commune has proactively combined traditional business methods with e-commerce.
Building on her family’s traditional fermented product-making business, Huynh Thi Diem, Director of Mam Ba Hai Diem Co., Ltd., has gradually invested in machinery, improved production processes and packaging, and sought additional sales channels.
The company currently has five products certified as four-star OCOP products: stir-fried shrimp paste with lemongrass and chili, shrimp paste, tom cha shrimp paste, fermented sour shrimp, and fermented anchovy. In addition to its distributor network, the company has listed its products on TikTok Shop and worked with distributors to sell them on other e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Tiki.
Huynh Thi Diem said that selling through e-commerce platforms offers businesses many advantages.
Compared with promoting products independently on social media, selling through platforms with clear management procedures, documentation and requirements helps build greater customer trust.
Products can also reach more consumers without businesses having to invest too much effort in promotion. The company has recently signed a sales agreement with Shopee and has initially seen an increase in orders.
Tri Son Trading and Services Co., Ltd. in Dao Thanh Ward has also proactively expanded its business into the digital marketplace. The company offers bird’s nest products certified as four-star OCOP products.
Alongside its distributor network, the company promotes its products through its website, Facebook, TikTok, Zalo and e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada.
Combining multiple sales channels helps the company reach more customers, promote its brand and explore additional markets. Its bird’s nest products are showcased in online stores with detailed images and product information, allowing consumers to learn more about them and make informed choices.
Experience from these businesses shows that e-commerce is no longer just an additional sales channel but is becoming an important means of promotion and market connection. Through product images, introductory videos and livestream sales, producers can provide customers with more information about product origins, production processes and distinctive features.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY
Despite these advantages, selling on e-commerce platforms also presents considerable challenges for OCOP producers, particularly in terms of operating costs and order management.
According to Huynh Thi Diem of Mam Ba Hai Diem Co., Ltd., one of the biggest challenges is the fees charged by e-commerce platforms. The company’s estimates show that total fees can account for around 30-40% of sales, reducing profit margins. To maintain its business operations, the company has to consider raising selling prices to offset these costs.
However, this is not easy, as its products are already distributed through supermarket chains at stable listed prices. Raising prices exclusively on e-commerce platforms would make it difficult for the company to maintain consistent pricing across distribution channels.
Another challenge is the company’s limited control over order processing. Shopee currently manages the online store and transactions, while the company mainly receives orders through QR codes to prepare, package and ship products. Unable to contact buyers directly, the company sometimes faces cases where customers place orders but fail to receive them, complicating order preparation and delivery.
Based on these difficulties, the company has proposed management and support measures to help sellers communicate more easily with customers and reduce cases of orders being placed but not received.
It has also called on relevant authorities to work more closely with e-commerce platforms and propose reductions in platform fees and sales commissions. This would ease cost pressures, help businesses improve profitability, sustain operations and confidently expand their online sales channels.
These challenges show that, beyond helping producers access digital platforms, further measures are needed to help businesses optimize costs, improve online store operations and strengthen order management, ensuring long-term business efficiency.
According to the Department of Industry and Trade, in the first nine months of 2026, the department organized two training courses under the theme “Hands-on Guidance: Setting Up and Selling on E-commerce Platforms for Dong Thap Businesses” to strengthen businesses’ online sales capabilities.
It also supported 75 businesses, cooperatives and production and trading establishments in using the product traceability information system to update 443 product records and generate QR codes for product introduction, promotion and greater transparency of product information.
In addition, trade promotion activities, buyer-seller connections, and OCOP product displays and exhibitions have been organized at various events both inside and outside the province. These activities have provided businesses, cooperatives and production facilities with opportunities to connect with partners, explore markets and expand their distribution networks.
The industry and trade sector is also developing a project to establish Dong Thap as an e-commerce hub for the Mekong Delta region during the 2027-2030 period.
The initiative is expected to create more favorable conditions for e-commerce development and help businesses and producers make more effective use of online platforms.
Bringing OCOP products onto e-commerce platforms is not simply a change in sales methods, but also reflects a shift in production and business thinking.
For local specialties to reach wider markets in the digital age, businesses must take the initiative in improving product quality and building their brands. Practical support policies are also needed to help producers reduce costs and overcome challenges in online business operations.
LY OANH – NTL
Translated by ANH DUC
