E-commerce plays a crucial role in advancing the digital economy. In recent years, the province has significantly developed telecommunications infrastructure to support e-commerce growth, including widespread mobile networks, 3G, and 4G internet coverage across the province, meeting the needs from the provincial to district, commune, and town levels.

Do Thi Bich Chau, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, stated that every year, the department collaborates with relevant units to organise 4-5 training sessions for businesses, cooperatives, production and business households, youth union members, and students in the province on e-commerce. These sessions equip them with essential knowledge and skills to apply digital transformation in economic development, improving efficiency in promoting and selling products on e-commerce platforms. Revenue through e-commerce and social media platforms in 2021-2024 grew by an average of 8-8.5% annually and accounted for approximately 10% of the province’s total retail sales.

Enterprises, cooperatives, production and business households, and consumers have adopted information technology and e-commerce for business, shopping, and market research purposes. Some businesses and cooperatives have utilised specialised software for managing production and business activities. Supermarkets, shopping centres, and utility services such as electricity, water, and telecommunications have adopted non-cash payment methods. At markets in Son La city and districts, as well as traditional markets, non-cash payments have become quite common.

In Son La city, 100% of businesses now use electronic invoices; 98% implement electronic tax filing through the eTax Mobile application; over 750 business households participate in the smart market model, with non-cash payments; and more than 50 OCOP (one commune, one product) items and typical products of the city are sold on the e-commerce platform buudien.vn.

Ha Bich Diep, a business household owner, shared: “During the process of building our product brand, we received support from the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the provincial Farmers’ Association, the provincial and city Post Offices in production and business activities, brand identity development, labeling, origin tracing, and promotion on the PostMart e-commerce platform. Through e-commerce platforms and social media, our products are not only recognised locally but also promoted nationwide, allowing consumers to easily trace the origin and ensure product quality”.

The digital economy landscape is becoming increasingly vibrant as tourism businesses and cooperatives also embrace digital transformation. Solutions applying information technology in management, operations, and digital transformation in tourism activities in the province are proving effective, including tourism operation systems, accommodation management software, tourism management and business platforms, online booking systems, online payments, and QR codes at historical sites.

To achieve the goals set in Son La’s Digital Economy Development Plan, in the coming period, the province will direct departments, agencies, and localities to further promote the use of digital services, digital signatures, and integrate digital signatures to support various payment channels (QR codes, Mobile Money, cards, e-wallets), and implement Mobile Money in remote areas.

The province will explore and utilise the digital economy measurement portal at http://kinhteso.ptit.edu.vn/ to provide a comprehensive perspective on the digital economy, identify opportunities, highlight the province’s efforts in digital transformation, and forecast future trends. It will also deploy massive open online courses (MOOCs), prioritise IoT (the Internet of Things) technology solutions in planning, investing in, operating, and managing essential infrastructure such as electricity, water, transportation, and smart cities.