Vietnam has not been named in the latest list of most attractive retail markets according to a recent report from A. T. Kearney, a US-based global management consulting firm.

Since achieving top position in 2008, Vietnam has consistently dropped in the ranking, down to 23rd position last year, and is no longer represented in the top 30 list.

The report on the 2012 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) showed that Brazil currently tops the list, followed by Chile, China, Uruguay, India, Georgia, the US, Oman, Mongolia and Peru.

Vietnam’s retail market attractiveness decreased due to trade barriers, including the Economic Needs Test (ENT), which have not yet been removed since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2007.

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), Vietnam's total retail revenue in the past five months was estimated at VND952.2 trillion, up 20.8 percent over the same period last year. This represents a modest growth in comparison to recent years.

A recent report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) shows that supermarkets and trade centres established recently saw low growth compared to the 2007-2011 period, five years after Vietnam was admitted to the WTO.

VNA