Convenience stores help domestic retailers compete with foreign rivals
With certain advantages, convenience stores have been an increasingly popular shopping destination for customers, and they have also become a choice for domestic retailers to compete with foreign rivals.
Consumers shop at a convenience store in HCM City (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – With certain advantages, conveniencestores have been an increasingly popular shopping destination for customers,and they have also become a choice for domestic retailers to compete withforeign rivals.
The comment was made by Dang Thuy Ha, Directorfor the northern region at the Nielsen Vietnam market research company.
Some surveys show that Vietnam owns manyfavourable conditions to develop convenience stores when the urbanisation ratehas reached 30 percent and young people account for up to 57 percent of thepopulation. Notably, the middle class – the main driver of convenience stores’development – will rise almost three-fold by 2025 compared to at present.
According to Nielsen Vietnam, the number ofconvenience stores nationwide has increased four-fold since 2012.
Many foreign retailers like Circle K of the USor Shop&Go of Singapore came to Vietnam between 2005 and 2008 and havecontinually expanded their networks. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Circle Khas had more than 300 stores while Shop&Go has opened over 160 stores.
Domestic businesses have also showed goodperformance in developing convenience stores with such brands as Co.op Food, SatraFoods or Vinmart+.
Last December alone, the VinCommerce JSC openedup to 238 Vinmart+ stores across the country, raising its convenience stores to1,700 in total and becoming the biggest chain of such stores in Vietnam. Thefirm plans to open 3,000 similar outlets in the coming years.
Not only retailers of consumer goods, techproduct sellers of Vietnam have also entered this market, such as Bach Hoa Xanhstores of the The gioi Di dong (Mobile World) JSC.
Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Industryand Trade Tran Thi Phuong Lan said despite the modest area, convenience storesare located within residential areas and offer consumers a variety of essentialgoods from food, beverages to needles and thread. Customers can even payelectricity, water and telephone bills or book plane tickets.
She noted the municipal People’s Committee hasissued a plan on developing trade and services until 2025. Accordingly, Hanoiaims to have 1,000 convenience stores by the end of 2020.-VNA
Competition between domestic and foreign retailers is likely to remain fierce this year, requiring Vietnamese businesses to cooperate in order to maintain their market shares, said an official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
VinCommerce, a subsidiary of real estate and retail giant Vingroup, announced on April 2 that it will receive the transfer of 87 Shop&Go stores at the price of 1 USD.
The North-South Expressway project is scheduled for completion by 2030, aiming to establish the groundwork for Vietnam’s modern railway industry and stimulate regional economic development, positioning the country for a significant economic leap in the era of national rise.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
Consumers shop at a convenience store in HCM City (Photo: VNA) 
