M-commerce to take off in Vietnam

Mobile electronic commerce or m-commerce is soon set to take off in Vietnam thanks to the increasing number of mobile phones and rapid internet development, experts have predicted.
M-commerce to take off in Vietnam ảnh 1A customer browses goods on an online shop (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Mobile electronic commerce or m-commerce is soon set to take off in Vietnam thanks to the increasing number of mobile phones and rapid internet development, experts have predicted.

According to a report by Google Vietnam, mobile devices have driven a major shift in consumer behavior. It said a Vietnamese on average picks up and looks at their mobile phone 150 times a day, or more than 10 times an hour.

Furthermore, more people under 35 now use smartphones than computers.

This has a tremendous impact on m-commerce since users are seeking specific information and content, the company said.

On the sidelines of a recent conference on m-commerce held in HCM City, Nitin Gajria, Vietnam country manager for Google, said he is really optimistic about m-commerce in the country.

“What I am really encouraged by is that the infrastructure is already in place so that it can grow very quickly. Third-generation (3G) coverage is nationwide and phones are getting cheaper.

“Data is already relatively cheap compared to the rest of the markets in the region. So all of these are great conditions for internet penetration to grow quite dramatically very quickly. And that gives me great encouragement for everything that has to do with the internet, including m-commerce.”

According to MasterCard’s latest mobile shopping survey, more than 51 percent of Vietnamese participating in the survey made purchases using their smartphones last year, up from 45.2 percent in 2014.

The survey is based on interviews that took place between October and December last year with 8,500 participants aged 18-64 across 14 markets in Asia-Pacific, including 500 respondents from Vietnam.

The markets include Thailand, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, India and the Philippines.

Clothes and fashion accessories, gifts and toys and mobile apps are the most mobile shopping purchases in the country.

The survey also revealed that India topped the region in growth rates , with the number of people shopping on smartphones rising by 29.3 percent from two years ago, followed by Singapore (17.1 percent) and Vietnam (16.8 percent).

Le Xuan Long, marketing director of online marketplace Lazada Vietnam, said, “Every day more and more customers use the internet through mobile phones.”

Technologies are developing and so websites browsed on mobile phones will match mobile applications, he added.

“For Lazada, 60 percent of trading value is through mobile phones. The figure is set to increase to 80 percent by 2020.”

For many companies, m-commerce is a new concept though Vietnamese consumers have indulged in it for long, using their phones every day to access shopping sites, watching advertising videos on YouTube and Facebook and buying products and services.

Demand has shot up but companies do not seem ready with many remaining focused on the desktop. Only a few companies are developing mobile applications.

Lazada said it has developed an App 2.0 version to meet the increasing demand through mobile devices.

Long said the money required to develop the application is not small and thought that is the reason why many companies are reluctant to invest in m-commerce.

But he was optimistic that with pioneers like Lazada coming to the market, others will follow suit and the market will boom.-VNA

VNA

See more

Sun Group signs a MoU with Emirates, April 30, 2025. (Photo: Sun Group)

Emirates, Sun Group partner to promote tourism in Vietnam

The MoU was signed during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Far East, and Nguyen Vu Quynh Anh, Deputy CEO of Sun Group cum CEO of Sun Entertainment & Hospitality Group.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of construction on Vietnam’s first locally owned semiconductor chip factory. Photo courtesy of CT Semiconductor (Photo: VNA)

Construction of first locally-owned semiconductor factory begins

The groundbreaking ceremony, held in Binh Duong province, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long and leaders from universities, research institutions and international partners.

On April 15, Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City organises a ceremony to honour 50 outstanding businesses with leading brands and products of the city in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification (April 30, 1975-2025). (Photo: VNA)

HCM City’s leading enterprises embrace innovation in new era

Currently, HCM City's businesses contribute over 50% of the city’s GRDP, 67% of total investment, and 25% of national import-export turnover. Many of these enterprises have built strong domestic reputations and are increasingly succeeding in international markets.

Vinh Loc 2 industrial park in Ben Luc district, Long An province, which borders HCM City's Binh Chanh (Photo: VNA)

Production restructuring fuels demand in industrial real estate

With a solid foundation, increasing investor confidence, and strategic government support for sustainable and high-tech development, Vietnam’s industrial real estate market is well-positioned to become a regional leader in the era of sustainable prosperity.

Illustrative image (Photo: thoibaonganhang.vn)

Vietnamese gov’t approves two-year trial of P2P lending

Under the pilot, only P2P lending companies licensed by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will be allowed to operate. Foreign banks are excluded from participation. While credit institutions and fintech firms may join the trial, participation does not guarantee future compliance with business or investment regulations once formal laws are enacted.

Processing dragon fruit for exports (Photo: VNA)

Overseas Vietnamese help Vietnamese products go global

In 2016, approximately 4.5 million Vietnamese were residing in 109 countries and territories. Today, the figures have risen to over 6 million and more than 130, respectively. Once focused on small-scale trade, many OV entrepreneurs now own major retail centres and operate extensive wholesale networks, boosting the availability of Vietnamese products abroad.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

PM orders fast-track construction of Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway

The Minister of Construction was asked to work closely with local authorities to hasten land clearance, compensation, resettlement, site surveys, and the drafting of a feasibility study, which must be completed by June 2025, setting the stage for the project's groundbreaking on December 19, 2025.

LNG import operations at Thi Vai terminal. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam cuts LNG import tariff to boost clean energy transition

The Vietnamese Government has reduced the preferential import tariff on liquefied natural gas (LNG) from 5% to 2% under Decree No. 73/2025/ND-CP, issued on March 31. The move marks a key step in accelerating the country’s shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.