
Hanoi (VNA) - After the opening ofJapan’s first 7-Eleven store in Vietnam in June, the Republic of Korea (RoK)’sGS25 convenience store chain has official announced its intention to enter themarket, reported online news website ndh.vn.
The entry of GS25 makes it the first Koreanbrand to join the fierce competition of the Vietnamese convenience storemarket.
GS25 and Vietnamese Son Kim Group have formed ajoint venture which will be in charge of operating local GS25 franchises in Vietnam.
Accordingly, GS Retail, the convenience storechain’s parent company, holds a 30 percent stake in the venture, while Son Kimholds 70 percent.
GS25 is expected to open its first store in Ho ChiMinh City by the end of this year and has set a goal of opening more than 2,500stores within the next 10 years.
GS25 is one of the RoK’s largest conveniencestores, accounting for about 30 percent of the retail market in the country.
Previously, Son Kim Group has co-operated withGS Home Shopping since 2012. GS Home Shopping and GS Retail both belong to theGS Group.
According to the most recent data on the retailmarket in Vietnam, total revenue reached 118 billion USD last year, ayear-on-year increase of 10.2 percent.
Vietnam is alsoevaluated as a country whose population age is suited to convenience storechains, with 57 percent of people under 35 years old.-VNA