THE HANOI TIMES — The thriving presence of regional specialties in Hanoi’s retail landscape depends on consistent production, adherence to stringent food safety and traceability standards, and seamless collaboration between local producers and retail chains.
A shopper explores regional specialties at a Vietnamese goods fair hosted by the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade. Photo: Hoai Nam/The Hanoi Times
With just over a month until Tet, the demand for regional delicacies is surging. Consumers are eagerly seeking specialty products from across Vietnam, both for gifting and festive celebrations.
Le Ha, proprietor of a regional specialty shop on Nguyen Thi Thap Street in Hanoi’s Khuong Dinh Ward, reports robust orders for items like smoked buffalo meat, wild shiitake mushrooms from Sa Pa, dried bamboo shoots from Tuyen Quang, Vu Dai braised fish, Quang Ninh squid paste, Thanh Hoa fermented pork rolls, and Hue-style fermented shrimp.
Beyond traditional markets, Hanoi’s supermarket chains are actively showcasing Northern, Central, and Southern specialties, with a growing emphasis on organic and premium offerings.
Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, Director of Co.opmart Ha Dong, highlights their diverse Tet collection, featuring Vu Dai carp braised in clay pots, Tra Cuon banh tet from Vinh Long, Danang beef sausage, mac mat pickled bamboo shoots from Lang Son, and Nghe An-style pork rolls.
To cater to Tet gifting needs, Co.opmart has prepared approximately 1.2 million gift baskets, many showcasing regional specialties such as dried fruits and nutritious nuts.
Similarly, Nguyen Thi Thuy Huong, Northern Region Operations Director of WinCommerce, notes that WinMart supermarkets have introduced curated sets of northern specialties, including glass noodles, dried rice vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms from Son La and Bac Ninh, and smoked buffalo and beef from Tuyen Quang.
Despite growing demand, many localities face challenges in integrating their specialties into modern retail systems.
Ma Thi Ninh, Director of Yen Duong Cooperative in Thai Nguyen, explains that while Thai Nguyen’s fragrant pumpkin is renowned, supplying supermarkets with consistent volumes remains a significant hurdle.
Vu Hong Son, Director of the Dien Bien Department of Industry and Trade, observes that Dien Bien rice and the locally celebrated “dua meo” cucumber are popular domestically. However, local producers often fail to meet the volume and consistency demands of Hanoi’s retailers, limiting their presence in the capital’s supermarkets.
Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, Director of Go! Thang Long Supermarket, identifies key barriers, including non-compliance with food safety and traceability standards. Additionally, producers often overlook long-term branding potential, resulting in inadequate packaging and weak distribution networks.
Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Retailers’ Association, emphasizes that supermarkets require products with clear origins and protected trademarks. However, many regional specialties are produced by small, unregistered household facilities, leading to unstable supply and limited market access.
“This instability often forces the cancellation of signed contracts due to insufficient supply,” Lan notes.
To tackle these issues, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has launched initiatives to connect provinces with modern retail systems.
Nguyen The Hiep, Deputy Director of the department, highlights the role of trade fairs, agricultural markets, and specialty events in facilitating access to modern retail channels. The department also supports enterprises in adopting traceability systems and e-commerce platforms for production and distribution.
Hanoi has further organized mobile sales programs, “Vietnamese goods” markets, and various trade promotion activities across the city.
For the 2026 Lunar New Year, the department plans 12 major events, including the Spring Fair 2026 and One Commune One Product (OCOP) fairs, aimed at expanding consumption channels and ensuring access to high-quality regional specialties.
“Hanoi’s proactive efforts will shift consumer preferences toward domestically produced goods, creating sustainable markets for local agricultural and specialty products,” Hiep concludes.
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