Sales of fast moving consumer goods have slowed down this year in both urban and rural areas, according to Kantar Worldpanel, a global expert in shoppers’ behaviour. The rural market grew at 5.7 per cent while the urban market (mainly the four cities of Hà Nội, HCM City, Đà Nẵng and Cần Thơ) grew at 2.5 per cent. In the full year the segment is expected to grow at around 5 per cent, according to Kantar Worldpanel. Personal care products led the growth in both urban and rural areas, followed by beverages. Though all sectors recorded a positive performance in rural areas, sales of dairy and packaged foods were down in urban areas.  Modern channels continued to expand rapidly with more local and international players entering the race. The mushrooming of mini-stores in the four cities reflected consumers’ demand for convenience and fast service. Noticeably, online channels also enjoyed impressive sales, adding nearly 98,000 urban households to its shopper base./.