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Vietnam e-commerce growth outpaces traditional retail

Vietnam e-commerce growth outpaces traditional retail

Online retail sales across major e-commerce platforms grew by more than 40% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, or three times the pace of Vietnam's overall retail sector growth.

A report by e-commerce data analytics platform Metric said the four major multi-category online marketplaces (Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada, and Tiki) saw gross merchandise value (GMV) grow by 38-52%.

Together, they hosted 613,900 stores, whose GMV was VND291.6 trillion (US$11.07 billion) and who sold more than 2.18 billion products, up 41% and 12%.

That means consumers spent an average of VND1.6 trillion a day to buy 12 million products, with beauty, fashion, home and living, groceries and food, and household appliances accounting for the largest share.

Popular brands have benefited from the rise of e-commerce. Audio equipment retailer JBL, for example, said its second-quarter sales on Lazada doubled from a year earlier.

A JBL Vietnam spokesperson said online channels not only generate high traffic and help the brand reach more customers, but also provide an effective platform for promotional campaigns targeting younger consumers.

Online accounted for 10% of overall retail sales, which exceeded VND2.94 quadrillion during the half, up 12.5% from a year earlier, according to data from the General Statistics Office.

Online retail’s rapid expansion has been partly attributed to the effect of livestreaming. A recent online survey by market researcher Q&Me found that livestream shopping has become the primary purchasing channel for online shoppers, accounting for 67% of their online spending.

Speaking at a seminar last month, Ta Van Thanh, CEO of footwear retailer Nesty, said more than half of the brand's sales on TikTok Shop comes from livestreaming. The company plans to expand its partnerships with content creators this year, he added.

Discounts also encourage many consumers to choose online shopping over brick-and-mortar stores. Q&Me said 82% of surveyed consumers said discounts were a key factor influencing their purchase decisions, as livestream-exclusive vouchers and limited-time promotions encouraged immediate buying decisions.

During Lazada's June 6 promotional campaign, its GMV rose 276% from an average day.

Delivery speed also plays a key role. Shopee said merchants offering express delivery within one hour or four hours recorded order growth of up to 130% compared with sellers who did not.

The platform said it would continue investing in operational infrastructure and expanding logistics partnerships to reduce delivery times.

But both Shopee and TikTok Shop have raised their fees for merchants, forcing some sellers to hike their prices in turn. Following sellers’ complaints, the National Competition Commission has requested the platforms to make a report on the impact of their higher fees.

Tran Lam, an online sales training expert, said the market is gradually moving beyond the "cash-burning" phase, which means sellers now need to prioritize improving business efficiency.

"Costs continue to rise on the platforms but consumers still expect lower prices, faster delivery, and more promotions."

Content creator Hoang Van Khoa, better known as PewPew on social media, said building a multi-platform ecosystem – developing each piece of content into multiple formats and distributing it across channels ranging from Shopee to Facebook and Instagram – has been key to his success.

"Through this approach, my content now consistently attracts more than 30 million views each month."

Metric advised merchants to develop product portfolios based on search trend data, price segmentation, and seasonal demand rather than intuition.

It also recommended improving product quality, images, and information while combining advertising, promotions, livestreaming, affiliate marketing, and social media content to broaden customer reach.

Sarah Nguyen, commercial director of Shopee Vietnam, said e-commerce is entering a new phase of development as consumers increasingly expect better experiences, greater personalization, and higher levels of trust.

She said this would require platforms to invest more in artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and solutions that deliver seamless shopping experiences while expanding merchants' access to buyers.

Source: Vien Thong

Photo: Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Giang

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Rethinking productivity to drive a new growth model

Rethinking productivity to drive a new growth model

The combination of traditional tools and modern technologies is enabling many Vietnamese enterprises to make significant breakthroughs, helping build a modern productivity and quality ecosystem and driving a new growth model.

HÀ NỘI —Amid rapid changes in the global and domestic economies, productivity and quality in the new era are no longer simply about expanding scale or optimising costs. Instead, they increasingly depend on the ability to harness technology and data while pursuing sustainable development.

The combination of traditional tools and modern technologies is enabling many Vietnamese enterprises to achieve substantial productivity gains, helping build a modern productivity and quality ecosystem and driving a new growth model.

As Việt Nam accelerates the development of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, this transition is creating both opportunities and challenges, said Nguyễn Nam Hải, chairman of the Commission for the Standards, Metrology and Quality of Việt Nam (STAMEQ).

Renewing the growth model based on higher productivity and quality has therefore become an urgent priority, he said. A new mindset is needed, with productivity measured not only by output but also by the value generated through innovation, the efficiency of resource utilisation and the sustainable value created for society.

This provides a strategic foundation for advancing the dual digital and green transition, helping enterprises strengthen their competitiveness and contributing to Việt Nam’s efforts to realise its development vision through 2045.

Việt Nam is moving towards a productivity and quality ecosystem that places enterprises at the centre and addresses practical management challenges.

To develop this ecosystem, enterprises need to adopt technologies and practices such as AI, big data, ISO 56001-based innovation management, digital traceability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, alongside management tools that can be applied directly to production and business operations to optimise resources and improve international competitiveness.

Hải said institutional reform, technology adoption, digital transformation and advanced management tools would help raise national productivity and support a new growth model.

According to productivity experts, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data are becoming core technologies for transforming production management. They offer opportunities to raise productivity, improve product quality, strengthen competitiveness and enable enterprises to participate more deeply in global supply chains. Business decisions are increasingly supported by scientific analysis rather than relying primarily on experience, improving management accuracy and efficiency.

The integration of AI, IoT and Big Data is also accelerating the shift from traditional, experience-based production towards smart manufacturing. To make effective use of these technologies, however, enterprises need to invest in digital infrastructure, establish standardised data systems, develop digitally skilled workforces and adopt management systems based on international standards.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Lê Xuân Định said digital transformation and AI have brought profound changes worldwide. Technology is not only improving productivity, but also transforming management, quality control and market connectivity.

As markets impose stricter requirements for transparency, product quality, traceability and compliance, adopting digital platforms and AI has become essential to building a new growth model, he added.

New drivers of productivity growth

Hải said Việt Nam is stepping up investment in standards, productivity and quality infrastructure. Developing a strong cadre of productivity and quality experts, strengthening communications and scaling up model productivity initiatives nationwide are among the key priorities.

STAMEQ is also expanding international cooperation, leveraging the Asian Productivity Organization network and global certification bodies to strengthen Vietnamese enterprises’ capacity for international integration in productivity and standards.

In coordination with ministries, sectors and localities, STAMEQ will carry out measures to renew productivity and build a modern productivity and quality ecosystem through 2030. The aim is to maximise opportunities arising from digital transformation and international integration, making productivity and quality a central driver of economic growth.

Nguyễn Tùng Lâm, director of the Vietnam Productivity Institute, said digital transformation would be one of the most important drivers of labour productivity growth over the coming decade. Digital management platforms can help enterprises monitor production processes, optimise supply chains and ensure quality from the outset.

Meanwhile, ESG is emerging as a new measure of the quality of corporate development and an increasingly important requirement for export markets, investment funds and global supply chains.

ESG practices can help Vietnamese enterprises meet international standards while combining productivity improvements with green transformation and international integration in pursuit of sustainable development.

Apartment prices ease in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City but remain high

Apartment prices ease in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City but remain high

After a prolonged period of rising prices, Vietnam’s real estate market saw a downward adjustment in the secondary segment in the second quarter of 2026.

However, housing and land prices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City remained high, while market liquidity declined and inventories continued to rise, according to the Ministry of Construction.

Secondary apartment prices fall

Vietnam’s secondary apartment market showed a clearer downward adjustment in the second quarter of 2026, with prices nationwide falling from the first quarter, according to the Ministry of Construction.

Despite the decline, apartment prices in major cities remained high.

In Hanoi, secondary apartments averaged around VND123 million (US$4,710) per square meter.

Prices ranged from VND133-140 million ($5,090-5,360) per square meter at Hateco Laroma, VND97-103 million ($3,710-3,940) at Bamboo Airways Tower, and VND80-87 million ($3,060-3,330) at Sunshine Garden.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the average secondary apartment price stood at around VND108 million ($4,130) per square meter.

Masteri Thao Dien was priced at VND114-120 million ($4,360-4,590) per square meter, Cantavil An Phu at VND80-89 million ($3,060-3,410), and An Gia Skyline at VND64-72 million ($2,450-2,760).

High apartment prices have also spread to neighboring markets such as Hung Yen Province in the northern region, where the average reached VND69 million ($2,640) per square meter.

At the Ecopark urban area, Sol Forest apartments were priced at VND65-85 million ($2,490-3,250) per square meter, while Sky Oasis ranged from VND55-70 million ($2,110-2,680).

Dinh Minh Tuan, southern regional director of Batdongsan.com.vn, toldTuoi Tre(Youth) online newspaper that apartment prices could come under downward pressure of five to seven percent whenever bank lending rates increase.

From 2021 to 2024, when interest rates remained high at 14-16 percent, apartment prices in Ho Chi Minh City fell by five to seven percent, he said.

When interest rates began easing in 2025, apartment prices rebounded rapidly. Over the past year, prices in the city surged 22.5 percent, offsetting the declines recorded in previous years.

Villa, land prices decline

Compared with apartments, land plots in property developments recorded a more pronounced decline.

Apartment prices ease in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City but remain high- Ảnh 1.

Secondary land prices nationwide fell by around two to three percent from the previous quarter, bringing the average asking price down to VND40 million ($1,530) per square meter.

In Ho Chi Minh City, land prices fell nearly three percent to an average of around VND66 million ($2,530) per square meter.

Prices at many projects declined by three to six percent, particularly for high-value properties. Despite the drop, land prices remained high.

In Hanoi, land at the Dai Kim-Dinh Cong new urban area was priced at VND105-160 million ($4,020-6,120) per square meter, while Cienco 5 Me Linh ranged from VND40-56 million ($1,530-2,140).

In Ho Chi Minh City, Van Phuc City was priced at VND100-150 million ($3,830-5,740) per square meter, while Rio Vista ranged from VND95-110 million ($3,640-4,210).

Villa and townhouse prices also declined amid weak liquidity, although prices remained high, according to the Ministry of Construction.

In Hanoi, Sunshine Riverside was priced at VND390-440 million ($14,930-16,840) per square meter, while Louis City ranged from VND285-292 million ($10,910-11,180).

In Ho Chi Minh City, prices at The Global City stood at VND360-371 million ($13,780-14,200) per square meter, while Lakeview City ranged from VND220-250 million ($8,420-9,570).

Pressure from weak liquidity, high interest rates

Vietnam recorded more than 100,000 successful real estate transactions in the second quarter, equivalent to 71.5 percent of the previous quarter’s figure and 63.7 percent of the level recorded in the same period of 2025.

Transactions involving apartments and individual houses fell nearly 14 percent to 26,567.

Land transactions recorded the steepest decline, with only 73,438 successful deals, equivalent to 67.4 percent of the previous quarter and less than 60 percent of the year-earlier level.

Meanwhile, new project supply increased sharply, with 113 commercial housing projects comprising more than 103,200 units newly licensed during the quarter, nearly double the number in the first quarter and adding pressure on market absorption.

Financing costs also remained a major hurdle. Real estate lending rates are currently commonly at 12-14 percent per year.

After preferential periods expire, floating rates at many banks rise to 13-15 percent, with some reaching 15-16 percent per year.


30% reduction in personal and corporate income tax proposed

30% reduction in personal and corporate income tax proposed

State budget revenue is expected to decline by approximately VND 3.191 trillion ($112.12 million) in 2026 and VND 3.51 trillion ($134.2 million) in 2027.

Authorized by the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan, on behalf of the Government, on August 21 presented its proposal for a 30 percent reduction in personal income tax payable for the 2026 and 2027 tax periods on business income to the on-going extra session of the 16th National Assembly.

According to the proposal, the 30% reduction will be applicable to resident individuals whose annual business revenue between 2026 and 2027 does not exceed VND10 billion.

Meanwhile, a 30% reduction in corporate income tax payable for the 2026 and 2027 tax periods is also proposed for enterprises and organizations established in accordance with Vietnamese law whose annual revenue in 2026 and 2027 does not exceed VND 10 billion.

For enterprises currently eligible for tax incentives under the Law on Corporate Income Tax or other laws and resolutions of the National Assembly, the proposed corporate income tax reduction would be calculated based on the amount of corporate income tax payable after tax incentives have been deducted.

According to Minister Tuan’s presentation, the tax cuts would help ease difficulties and stabilize production and business activities for business households, individuals and enterprises.

The measures would also ensure timely support for inflation control and macroeconomic stability, contributing to the realization of the country's economic growth targets.

If these proposals will be accepted by the Legislature, state budget revenue is expected to decline by approximately VND3.191 trillion ($112.12 million) in 2026 and VND 3.51 trillion ($134.2 million) in 2027.


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