Total retail sales revenues for goods and services throughout Vietnam in the first four months of this year reached VND175.86 trillion ($11 billion), increasing by 19.4 per cent against the same period last year, reported the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO).
On average, a Vietnamese consumer spent VND2.12 million in the reviewed period, or VND530,000 ($33.5) a month.
In January-April, the private sector remained the most active among all five economic sectors with retail sales rising by 24.6 per cent to VND37 trillion ($2.34 billion), followed by the foreign-invested sector with growth of 21.8 per cent to VND4.5 trillion ($285 million).
The collective economic sector saw smaller growth in retail sales, at 20.4 per cent to VND1.75 trillion ($111 million) while the individual economic sectors went up 20.2 per cent to VND111.46 billion ($7.1 billion).
The State-owned sector had the lowest growth rate at 7.8 per cent to VND21.2 trillion ($1.3 billion).
Thus, individuals made the largest proportion of the total sales, accounting for 63.4 per cent, while the private sector the smallest, only 1 per cent.
The tourism sector witnessed the strongest increase of 30.5 per cent on-year to VND1.23 trillion ($78 million), followed by the service sector with growth of 27.9 per cent to VND9.78 trillion ($619 million).
The hotel and restaurant sector registered the retail revenue rise by 20.5 per cent to VND20.7 trillion ($1.3 billion).
The trade sector grew by 18.7 per cent to VND144 trillion ($9.1 billion), which made up 82 per cent of the country's total retail sales.
Vietnam gained an average annual growth of 20 per cent in retail sales in recent years. In 2005 alone, the country obtained total retail sales growth of 20.5 per cent on-year at VND475.38 trillion ($30.1 billion).
P.V
Vietnamese
