Participants at a conference in Đà Nẵng on Wednesday to discuss ways to promote e-commerce and digital payments as drivers of the city's economic growth. — VNA/VNS Photos

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng is promoting e-commerce and digital payments to expand market access for businesses and support its digital economy, as it targets double-digit gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth in 2026. 

Đà Nẵng aims for its digital economy to account for 27 per cent of GRDP in 2026, as part of efforts to reform its growth model and develop new economic drivers in line with government resolutions and the city's digital economic development plan.

According to the Vietnam E-commerce Association's 2025 E-commerce Index report, Đà Nẵng ranked third nationwide with 28.1 points, behind Hà Nội and HCM City.

The ranking highlights the city's digital commerce potential, while further efforts are needed to improve the quality of technology adoption, widen business participation and translate infrastructure and market advantages into sales, orders and added value.

As a tourism, trade and services hub in the central region, Đà Nẵng has opportunities to develop e-commerce linked to tourism, logistics, the night-time economy, digital payments and local specialty products.

Huỳnh Xuân Sơn, deputy director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said the city had expanded digital channels for connecting suppliers and buyers, including by listing products under the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme and local specialties on platforms such as Grab, ShopeeFood, Green SM and Mytour.

The city has also promoted cashless payments, QR codes and product traceability at business locations, while helping enterprises explore international marketplaces such as Amazon Global Selling.

Supply-demand connection programmes, e-commerce fairs and pilot models at commune and ward levels have also helped raise awareness and strengthen businesses' capacity to sell online, Sơn said. 

Despite this progress, businesses continue to face challenges, including uneven digital capabilities, the need to standardise product information and ensure quality, data security and consumer protection, logistics costs, shortages of digital skills and the effective use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, Sơn said. 

Businesses showcase mobile apps providing construction and employment services to the public at the event..

Bùi Huy Hoàng of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency said cross-border e-commerce could become a new growth driver for Đà Nẵng, supported by the city's planned 1,880-ha free trade zone.

The zone includes areas for production and logistics, trade and services, digital and information technology and innovation, creating opportunities to develop cross-border e-commerce for both exports and imports, he said.

Đà Nẵng could use the zone's incentives to attract domestic and foreign investors, positioning itself as a regional hub for consolidating Vietnamese export goods and storing imports from international markets, Hoàng said.

The city's location and policy advantages could also help local businesses participate more deeply in regional and global value chains and strengthen its role in developing the central region's e-commerce ecosystem, he added.

Nguyễn Đức Tài, deputy secretary-general of the Association Against Counterfeiting and Commercial Fraud, said e-commerce could support Đà Nẵng's double-digit growth target by opening new markets for local manufacturers and service providers, boosting productivity and encouraging the development of higher value-added sectors.

Digital payments would complement this growth by enabling convenient and secure transactions and improving payment reconciliation, he said.

Tài called on the city to adopt a phased approach, beginning with standardised measurement methods and baseline data, followed by pilot programmes in promising supply chains before expanding solutions based on the results. A measurement model developed from Đà Nẵng's experience could also be proposed to the central government, he added.

A representative of the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said e-commerce and digital payments could help expand markets for tourism and services, tap the potential of the night-time economy, improve visitor experiences, extend stays and increase tourist spending.

The department would continue working with relevant agencies, businesses and technology partners to promote the use of digital platforms and e-commerce in support of the city's sustainable growth, the representative said. — VNS