Leveraging potentials, advantages, and new drivers, Điện Biên is focusing on enhancing service quality, expanding markets, and promoting goods circulation, thereby positioning trade and services as vital engines contributing to rapid and sustainable economic growth momentum.

Over the recent period, trade and service activities across the province have seen positive changes, expanding in quantity, scale, and quality, progressively satisfying the production, business, and consumption demands of the people. The goods distribution system has broadened steadily, with a network of wholesale and retail stores reaching out to rural, remote, mountainous, and border areas. The development of the commercial network facilitates access to essential goods for local residents, bridges market gaps among different regions, accelerates commodity circulation, expands outlets for local produce, and stimulates both production and consumption.

Accordingly, in the first 6 months of the year, total retail sales of consumer goods and services revenue across the province were estimated at VND 16,665.84 billion, up 15.25% year-on-year, reaching 53.16% of the annual plan. In this breakdown: retail sales of goods reached an estimated VND 12,638.26 billion; accommodation and food services accounted for VND 1,492.98 billion; and other services reached VND 2,531.20 billion. The total value of import-export goods, services, and border trade was estimated at USD 82.91 million, up 26.68% year-on-year and reaching 51.82% of the annual plan.

At the grocery store owned by Lương Đình Trọng’s family in the Bản Phủ Market, Thanh An commune, trading activities take place busily. Lương Đình Trọng shared: “In recent years, trade has flourished and living standards have improved, driving up shopping demand. Therefore, my family imported additional essential items to serve local needs. We always choose reputable distributors, prioritizing quality goods with clear origins and inspection certificates, earning strong trust from local consumers.”

Currently, across all 45 out of 45 communes and wards in the province, trade and service models are developing diversely and dynamically, better meeting production, business, and consumption requirements. Alongside traditional market networks, supermarkets, commercial centers, convenience stores, self-service shops, and retail chains are expanding in number, scale, and service formats. This meets evolving market demands and provides a solid foundation for the trade and services sector to continue driving provincial economic growth.

Mường Mùn commune is focusing on effectively exploiting potentials and strengths, generating positive transformations in trade and services. The communal Party committee and administration prioritize mobilizing and integrating resources from programs and projects to construct and complete infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for commerce, production, and business.

Trần Trung Kiên, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Mường Mùn commune, stated that thanks to the focused involvement of the Party committee and government alongside public dynamism, business and trading activities in the commune are quite bustling. Currently, the commune maintains 7 cooperatives and 122 individual business households, creating jobs, boosting incomes, and advancing the local economy. Since the beginning of the year, the commune has issued new Business Registration Certificates to 36 households, demonstrating an expanding trend in business operations and increasing market vitality.

The growth of production, business, and service activities not only widens employment opportunities, raises incomes, and improves quality of life, but also helps consolidate political security and maintain public order and safety. Consequently, trade and services increasingly affirm their role as a primary driver promoting provincial economic growth; in the first 6 months of 2026, the province’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) at 2020 constant prices was estimated at VND 15,437.32 billion, up 8.67% year-on-year, ranking 5th out of 9 provinces in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous region and 17th out of 34 provinces and centrally run cities nationwide.

To develop trade and services in the coming time, the province will allocate and support resources for localities to invest in building and upgrading transport routes, markets, and commercial infrastructure, progressively completing the circulation and distribution network. Concurrently, the province focuses on perfecting mechanisms and policies, creating a favorable investment climate to encourage and attract diverse economic sectors into developing shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and various service forms.

Localities focus on raising the efficacy of trade promotion activities and goods branding; collaborating with functional forces to stabilize and monitor the market, countering smuggling and commercial fraud to safeguard the interests of consumers and supplying enterprises. In parallel, support is extended to enterprises, production facilities, and residents to access e-commerce skills, distribute products across e-commerce platforms, and accelerate online shopping and digital payments.

Trade and services are increasingly affirming their role as crucial drivers promoting economic growth, generating employment, boosting income, ensuring social welfare, and improving public living standards. This serves as a vital foundation for Điện Biên to continue unlocking resources, accelerating economic restructuring, enhancing competitiveness, and heading toward rapid, sustainable development in the new phase.