Foreign retailers set out expansion plans in Vietnam

Central Retail expects to spend about US$1.5 billion expanding its Vietnamese operations over the next three to five years, with around 50 additional outlets planned. Aeon and MM Mega Market Vietnam are also pursuing larger networks in the country.

The Thai retailer has invested more than ₫602.5 billion in building the GO! Pleiku shopping centre. The project will become its third facility in Gia Lai province, joining GO! Quy Nhon and GO! An Nhon. Its existing Vietnamese network includes 43 GO! hypermarkets and 48 supermarkets.

Aeon's development strategy for 2026-2030 targets a Vietnamese business roughly three times its current size. Tezuka Daisuke, general director of Aeon Vietnam, said the group planned to devote about 60 per cent of its ASEAN investment budget to Vietnam.

Aeon Vietnam opened its 10th Vietnamese shopping centre, Aeon Hai Duong, in Hai Phong city's Thach Khoi ward in early October. Construction of Aeon Mall Danang Hoa Xuan is expected to start in November 2026, following the July 2026 opening of Aeon Mall Danang Thanh Khe.

MM Mega Market Vietnam aims to operate 54 centres by 2030, compared with 30 currently. Its expansion strategy also targets a presence in 26 of Vietnam's 34 provinces and centrally governed cities.

Domestic chains are expanding too. WinCommerce added nearly 550 stores during the first half of 2026, taking its network to 5,141 outlets. Bach Hoa Xanh, operated by Mobile World Investment Corporation, had 3,904 stores as of September.

National Statistics Office estimates put Vietnam's retail goods sales and consumer services revenue at ₫5,925.7 trillion for the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 13.4 per cent year on year.