Honestly, if you walked through a mall in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi today, you’d never guess that retailers are losing sleep over "uncertainty." The lights are bright. The food courts are packed. But look closer at vietnam retail news today and you'll see a market that is fundamentally reinventing itself while you’re busy picking out groceries.
We aren't just talking about more stores. We’re talking about a massive, structural shift.
In 2025, Vietnam’s retail market officially topped $269 billion. That’s a five-year high. To put that in perspective, Vietnamese consumers spent roughly $45 million every single day just on online shopping last year. That isn't just a "trend." It’s a total takeover of the household budget.
Why Vietnam Retail News Today Matters for Your Wallet
There is a weird paradox happening right now. On one hand, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is reporting record-breaking revenues. On the other, the "year-end" shopping season for the upcoming Lunar New Year 2026 feels... different. It's a bit tense.
People are spending, sure, but they’re being incredibly picky.
Maybank IBG Research recently pointed out that while retail profits are soaring—up nearly 96% for some listed companies in late 2025—the growth is mostly coming from "modern retail" taking over. Basically, the neighborhood mom-and-pop "tap hoa" stores are losing ground to the giants.
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The Rise of the Machine (In Your Supermarket)
Take WinCommerce (the folks behind WinMart). They aren’t just opening stores; they’re trying to hit 10,000 locations soon. But the real kicker in vietnam retail news today is their "back-end" tech.
Previously, store staff spent about 30% of their day just guessing how many crates of milk or bags of rice to order. It was a mess. Now, they’ve automated about 22% of that with AI, aiming for 90% automation by the end of 2026.
Why should you care? Because it supposedly saves them around 300 billion VND ($11.4 million) a year in waste. In theory, that keeps your prices stable even when global inflation tries to ruin your week.
The Battle of the Giants: Aeon vs. Everyone
If you’ve been to an Aeon Mall lately, you’ve seen the strategy: make the mall so comfortable people never want to leave. The Japanese giant is doubling down. They plan to triple their mall count in Vietnam, eyeing a total of 16 mega-malls across the country.
They aren't just sticking to the big cities anymore. They're heading into places like Hung Yen and Long An.
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- Central Retail (from Thailand) is dumping nearly $800 million into the country.
- Masan is integrating everything from telecommunications (Wintel) to banking into their "WIN" stores.
- Saigon Co.op is fighting back with AI-powered personalized promotions to keep their local edge.
It’s getting crowded. And honestly, it’s about time. For years, "modern trade" in Vietnam was under 10%. By 2030, experts expect it to hit nearly 30%. That means better food safety, clearer price tags, and—thankfully—more air conditioning.
TikTok Shop is the New Mall
You can't talk about vietnam retail news today without mentioning the elephant in the room: TikTok Shop.
In 2025, Shopee and TikTok Shop basically owned the internet here. Together, they hold a staggering 97% market share of the major e-commerce platforms. TikTok Shop alone grew its share from 29% to over 41% in a single year.
It’s called "shoppertainment." You watch a 15-second clip of someone eating spicy noodles, and three clicks later, those noodles are being shipped to your house. It’s impulsive. It’s fast. And for many traditional retailers, it’s terrifying.
But there is a catch.
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The "burn cash for growth" era is ending. Advertising costs (CPMs) on these platforms are climbing every quarter. Small sellers who used to survive on cheap ads are getting squeezed out. Metric.vn reported that the number of active shops actually dropped by over 7% last year. Only the professionals are surviving now.
What This Means for You Right Now
If you're looking at the landscape of vietnam retail news today, the takeaway isn't just "more stuff to buy." It's about how the game is played.
- Look for "OCOP" labels: The government is pushing the "One Commune, One Product" program hard. There are now over 17,400 of these certified high-quality local products. They’re often better and cheaper than imports.
- Watch the VAT: The government has extended VAT reductions for certain sectors through the end of 2026. This is a huge win for your discretionary spending.
- Check for "Invisible" Savings: Retailers are using big data to slash logistics costs. If a store feels more organized and better stocked, it’s likely because an algorithm predicted your cravings.
The retail scene in Vietnam is no longer just a "promising market." It’s an execution market. The companies that can’t figure out how to bridge the gap between a physical store and a smartphone app are going to disappear.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep an eye on the Masan (MSN) and Mobile World (MWG) earnings reports due later this quarter; these will be the real litmus test for whether consumer spending is actually as "uncertain" as the analysts fear. If you're a business owner, prioritize "omnichannel" operations over just "opening an online shop"—the winners in 2026 are those who can sync their warehouse data with their TikTok live streams in real-time.