Shoppers hunt for online discounts

Organisers said they had sent 100 million messages to mobile subscribers to inform them of the event. By 6pm, the website attracted 1.1 million visitors.

Nearly 2,000 participating retailers offered generous discounts on high-end clothes, books, watches, digital equipment, tourism products and household utensils.

Swatch and Guess brands gave discounts of up to 70 per cent, while Mango, Nike and Dorothy brands offered a 50-percent discount, as a few to name.

Jose Finch, Managing Director of Zalora Vietnam - one of the leading online fashion retailers, said Online Friday had become a special event of Viet Nam's e-commerce sector which was anticipated by both consumers and businesses.

Apart from participating in the online shopping day, the company has also joined hands with over 50 e-commerce partners and retailers to launch "Online Fever," its biggest-ever online promotion, he said.

In response to the day, eight banks and credit institutions offered cash-back services to online transactions. Also, express delivery firms like VietnamPost and ViettelPost supported online retailers with delivery costs halved.

Experts said online transactions valued at VND154 billion ($6.9 million) were conducted in 2014. The figure was expected to stand at $25 million this year.

They forecast that e-commerce will continue to thrive in Viet Nam in the coming time, especially at a time when the country is accelerating its international economic integration through the signing and negotiation of a range of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

The online promotion, organised by the Vietnam E-Commerce and Information Technology Agency (VECITA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, aims to boost consumer demand and online purchases.

This is also part of the agency's strategy to promote the development of e-commerce in Viet Nam, according to head of the VECITA Tran Huu Linh.