* Võ Trí Thành
If we must pick a winner amid the COVID-19 pandemic, no sector is better than e-commerce.
While many economic sectors are struggling due to the pandemic, e-commerce has continued to record impressive growth. Việt Nam is no exception, but this trend is demonstrated globally.
The E-commerce White Book 2021 released by the Việt Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency (IDEA) last month showed Việt Nam has the highest number of people shopping on e-commerce platforms in the Southeast Asia region, with some 49.3 million people.
The country’s e-commerce market value in 2020 increased 18 per cent to reach US$11.8 billion. This growth rate was lower than an average 20 per cent per year during 2015-19, but was still a striking number given enormous challenges arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic.