Finally Vietnam’s apparel suppliers are happy! Thailand’s Central Group that owns Big C has reversed its decision of not buying any garments from Vietnamese suppliers much to the relief of the latter.
Earlier this week, the Group had temporarily stopped buying apparels from local suppliers, which had forced the suppliers and textile owners hold banners in front of Group’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City [Read our story: Central Group stops buying apparels from Vietnam! Unrest among local suppliers]
On Thursday, Central Group signed a non-binding agreement with Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) wherein VITAS will resolve the issue with local suppliers.
And it seems to be working! The Group will now not only place orders with 50 out of 200 garment suppliers under contract, but also plan to renew contracts with another 100 suppliers in next 2 days.
The Central Group, however, will work closely with other 50 who have failed in their commitments so far.
The Deputy Minister of Vietnam Truong Hoa Binh reportedly said that the Government had directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to find out the credibility of the complaint why Big C was discriminating against Vietnamese products, especially when Big C has never had any quality issues with Vietnamese goods.
