Take visitors on a journey through the story of 5-star chocolate.
The Alluvia chocolate shop, with its distinctive yellow color, located on Phan Chu Trinh Street opposite the West Gate of Ben Thanh Market in Ben Thanh Ward, has been bustling with international tourists visiting and shopping in recent days.
This store specializes in selling cocoa powder, roasted pure cocoa beans, and especially handcrafted Vietnamese chocolates. Many products have been recognized with national-level OCOP 4-star and 5-star awards.
According to the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program's ranking system, OCOP 5-star is the most prestigious certification for products that are both characteristic of the country and possess superior quality and competitiveness in the international market. OCOP 5-star products are nationally recognized and are often used as diplomatic gifts at all levels.
Vietnamese specialties are a favorite among many international tourists visiting Ho Chi Minh City. This store, which opened just a few days ago, has already been bustling with customers.
Our observations show that the shop serves as a resting place where tourists can enjoy cocoa as a refreshing drink after visiting Ben Thanh Market. The shop is even busier in the sweltering weather. Meanwhile, many other groups of European and Asian tourists prefer to personally select chocolate bars with eye-catching packaging depicting Vietnam's culture and the vibrant life of Ho Chi Minh City.
Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Diep, Director of Xuan Ron Cho Gao Cocoa Company and owner of the Alluvia Chocolatier brand, said this is the brand's current strategic direction to enhance the value of Vietnamese cocoa and chocolate specialties.
According to her, while in the past Vietnamese specialties were mainly sold as finished products or exported in raw form, things must change now. Specialties must have a story to tell, and importantly, tourists must be able to participate in and experience that story.
She offered a range of experiences for customers right in the store. Customers could enjoy cocoa-based drinks, choose their favorite chocolate flavors, and even participate in on-site handmade chocolate workshops.
“We also offer tours of our own cocoa plantation in Tien Giang (now Dong Thap). Guests can harvest the cocoa beans, make their own handmade chocolate, and take the chocolate bar home. International tourists really enjoy this activity. We believe this is a way for Vietnamese specialties and OCOP products to spread further and truly conquer the world ,” Ms. Diep said.
Harvesting the sweet fruits of cocoa
Diep's strategy of involving tourists in the story of local specialties is proving effective.
The Alluvia store on Phan Chu Trinh Street, which just opened, is just one of Ms. Diep's newest stores in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Around the entrances of Ben Thanh Market alone, Ms. Diep has a total of three stores, all featuring a striking yellow color. Remarkably, despite being close together, each store is bustling with customers from day to night, and even busier on weekends.
Furthermore, on Le Loi Street and Nguyen Hue Street, where international tourists often walk to explore Ho Chi Minh City, there are also 5 Alluvia stores. These stores are convenient for visitors to experience and shop, making Vietnamese specialty chocolate a must-buy souvenir when they visit Ho Chi Minh City.
“The most rewarding thing for us is having regular international customers come back, or them recommending our shop to their friends when they visit Ho Chi Minh City. Some customers said their friends asked them to come here to buy chocolate as gifts,” Ms. Diep said, looking at her husband, Mr. Nguyen Hai Yen, her special partner in the journey of elevating Vietnamese chocolate.
Mr. Yen said that local specialties and the tourism industry are closely related. According to him, tourism in Ho Chi Minh City is currently very vibrant and has almost reached the same level of activity as before 2019. The increased number of tourists has led to better sales of souvenirs. Not only in Ho Chi Minh City, but Alluvia stores in Hanoi, Hoi An - Da Nang, Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa, My Tho - Dong Thap, and Phu Quoc - An Giang are also doing very well.
"However, we believe that knowing how to tell stories and let tourists experience the story of the specialties is essential to enhancing the value and brand of Vietnamese agricultural products and specialties," said Mr. Yen.
Source: https://danviet.vn/dua-chocolate-5-sao-len-dat-vang-sai-gon-khach-quoc-te-thich-me-d1429425.html
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