Vietnam an important market of Japanese retail groups
Nikkei Asia recently analysed foreign investment policies of Japanese retail groups, including retail giant AEON, noting that numerous groups plan to expand operations in the Vietnamese market.
Retail giant AEON's MaxValu store in Vietnam (Photo: asia.nikkei.com)
Tokyo (VNA) - Nikkei Asia recently analysed foreign investment policies of Japanese retail groups, including retail giant AEON, noting that numerous groups plan to expand operations in the Vietnamese market.
The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with lower barriers to foreign investment, created what AEON sees as its chance to reach more Vietnamese consumers.
The group plans to open 100 or so of its MaxValu supermarkets in Vietnam by 2025, up from just four in the Hanoi area now.
‘The retail group faces few large foreign-owned competitors in the capital, where wet markets would draw crowds with fresh meat, fish and produce’, Nikkei Asia commented.
Vietnam is the most important market for the retail giant’s overseas strategy, the newspaper quoted Okazaki Soichi, the executive in charge of the group's Southeast Asian business, as saying.
AEON mall in Vietnam (Photo: vietnambiz.vn)
These vendors are now seeing shoppers stay away after a rash of COVID-19 outbreaks in big Vietnamese cities this year.
AEON will add bigger stores with 500 sq.m or more of floor space in its expansion.
In its pursuit of scale, AEON will chase Vietnamese supermarket leader Masan Group and Thailand's Central Group, which operates 230 stores.
AEON is not the only Japanese group with an eye on Southeast Asian consumers, the article continued.
Trading house Sumitomo Corp. plans to open more locations of Japanese-style supermarket chain FujiMart in Vietnam with local conglomerate BRG Group. FujiMart has three locations in Hanoi.
In addition, the operator of the Don Don Donki store chain, Pan Pacific International Holdings, aims to increase its overseas sales to 1 trillion JPY (8.72 billion USD) by the year ending June 2030, about six times last fiscal year's level.
For its part, convenience store operator FamilyMart has expanded into five Southeast Asian countries, tailoring its product lineup to local needs and tastes./.
Thanks to an expected upturn in retail demand between now and the end of the year, the total revenue for 2021 is expected to have grown by 3-4 percent, as compared to the previous year.
Total retail sales of goods and services plunged 8.7 percent year-on-year to nearly 4.13 trillion VND in the first 11 months of this year, the latest report by the General Statistics Office (GSO) shows.
The article by Cuba’s Inter Press Service detailed how Vietnamese private enterprise Agri VMA leased 1,000 ha of land in Los Palacios district, Cuba’s westernmost province of Pinar del Río, for rice cultivation over a three-year period. The project’s first harvest in 2025 recorded an impressive yield of 7.2 tonnes per hectare, far exceeding the local average of 1.6 tonnes.
During the visit, office representatives held a working session with the Tipaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry and met with several prominent local businesses operating in key sectors including industry, agriculture, fisheries, food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and plastics.
A Nordic delegation to Vietnam International Sourcing 2025 in September will feature leading names in retail, consumer goods, logistics, and sustainable manufacturing, including global fashion giant H&M, offering fresh prospects for partnerships in fashion, textiles, and green supply chains.
With the current trading band of +/- 5%, the ceiling rate applicable for commercial banks during the day is 26,276 VND/USD and the floor rate 23,774 VND/USD.
Effective from the date of signing on June 18, the decision halts procedures outlined in the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the governments of Vietnam and Laos on the initial implementation of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement at the Lao Bao–Densavan border gate.
The event aimed to update businesses on new regulations and compliance requirements regarding US tax, trade, and customs policies, while offering practical solutions to facilitate exports amid shifting trade dynamics.
The festival marks a significant milestone in promoting the brand, value, and legacy of traditional fish sauce - a product deeply rooted in the island’s identity and history spanning over 200 years.
According to Mastercard data, Vietnam has recorded a remarkable 92% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in contactless transaction volume from Q4 2022 to Q4 2024.
Tuan expressed his confidence that LH, with its expertise and experience, would swiftly implement the urban area project, contributing to a modern urban landscape for the province.
With its strategic location, abundant workforce, and modern infrastructure, Vietnam holds significant potential to become a leading centre for power and electronics production in the region and the world.
The renewable energy workforce training and development centre, invested by Germany's GEO Group, is expected to be a cornerstone in shaping Binh Dinh as a renewable energy and innovation hub in central Vietnam, meeting the growing demand for skilled technical personnel in offshore wind, solar farms, and green hydrogen projects.
A notable trend is the shift toward satellite regions. With land scarcity and soaring prices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, investors are eyeing provinces like Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong, which are benefiting from improved technical infrastructure and transport connectivity.
To further strengthen private-sector innovation, Bac Ninh plans to accelerate administrative reforms, build a digital, service-oriented government, and develop an integrated innovation ecosystem that connects businesses with domestic and international institutions, universities, and experts.
The participation of H&M, one of the world's largest fashion corporations, in Vietnam International Sourcing 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City in early September is considered a special highlight, opening up many cooperation opportunities for Vietnamese businesses in the fashion, textiles and sustainable supply chains.
This latest order builds on a previous agreement signed at the Singapore Airshow last year for 40 engines, bringing the total number of Trent 7000 engines ordered by the airline to 80.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien acknowledged that despite concerted efforts by ministries and local authorities in combating fake and substandard goods, the situation remains highly complicated, attributing the persistent challenges to high profits luring numerous participants, increasingly sophisticated violations, limited resources within enforcement agencies.
The group also placed among the Top 5 energy companies in Southeast Asia and secured the top spot among the largest Vietnamese enterprises featured on the list.
Retail giant AEON's MaxValu store in Vietnam (Photo: asia.nikkei.com) 
AEON mall in Vietnam (Photo: vietnambiz.vn) 
