Technology and modern retail: Dual driving force for Masan MEATLife's growth

(Dan Tri) - In its strategy to modernize the consumer-retail industry, Masan considers technology the key to improving operational efficiency and increasing value. In the meat sector alone, Masan MEATLife (MML) utilizes solutions such as the WiNARE platform to optimize the supply chain.

Digital transformation creates sustainable competitive advantages for businesses

At the second quarter investor meeting, Mr. Yuri Misnik, Chief Technology Officer of Masan Group, emphasized that the current digital transformation strategy is not just a simple technology project, but is considered an important foundation for Masan to restructure the entire group's operations.

The goal is to optimize cost management, streamline operational processes, and improve data-driven decision-making capabilities. Core technology systems, including data platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), must be deployed quickly while ensuring flexibility and adaptability to the practical needs of the business.

Applying technology to the distribution and retail system helps Masan optimize costs (Photo: Masan).

WiNARE is an important technological step forward that helps Masan modernize the retail industry in Vietnam. This platform gradually replaces manual processes with a smart ordering system that applies artificial intelligence and real-time data, increasing accuracy, reducing errors and improving the ability to supply fresh products to consumers.

According to information from the company, Masan has successfully deployed the WiNARE order automation system across many key product lines, expected to help reduce the workload for store staff by at least 15%. By applying technology to forecasting and ordering, staff have more time to serve customers instead of processing manually.

Currently, WiNARE has been applied to the chilled meat and FMCG industries. By the end of 2025, nearly 70% of the product lines in the WinCommerce retail chain will be automated or semi-automated, with a roadmap to expand to other frozen and fresh product lines such as seafood, vegetables and processed foods.

WiNARE has been applied to the chilled meat and FMCG industries at Masan (Photo: Masan).

The business has had positive initial results. In Ho Chi Minh City (614 stores), the spoilage rate for meat products has decreased sharply by nearly 2% of revenue from May to the end of August. Thanks to that, the loss cost has been reduced by tens of billions of VND per month. In parallel, the DR (shelf presence rate) has improved from 80% to nearly 90% by the end of August while maintaining reasonable inventory, promoting the growth of store revenue.

However, the rapid expansion of retail systems and the application of new technologies also come with certain challenges. Enterprises need to continue to optimize logistics, standardize data and train staff to ensure WiNARE operates effectively on a large scale. At the same time, the trend of safe and high-quality consumption still goes hand in hand with price pressure, requiring enterprises to balance between added value and consumers' ability to pay.

Health and quality - consumer priorities

Vietnamese people increasingly value the origin and safety of food, especially after epidemic and food safety incidents. According to a survey by Cimigo (2022), 61% of consumers pursuing a healthy diet and 72% of those who are knowledgeable about safety standards are willing to spend 10% more for products that meet VietGAP, Organic or ISO standards.

Vietnamese consumers increasingly favor the trend of "clean eating - healthy living" (Photo: Masan).

The trend of “clean eating - healthy living” and the rapid development of modern retail create a large space for branded processed meat products. With a portfolio of chilled meat, standard processed meat and a wide distribution network, Masan MEATLife (MML) is taking advantage of this.

The enterprise develops an integrated meat value chain 3F (Feed - Farm - Food), controlling from animal feed to processing, owning MEAT Ha Nam and MEATDeli Saigon factories with a total capacity of hundreds of thousands of tons of meat/year, along with a high-tech pig farm in Nghe An that meets GLOBALG.AP standards, applying renewable energy to reduce emissions and protect the environment.

In July, MML's average daily revenue at each store in the WCM chain reached nearly VND2.3 million. If MML is present at nearly 4,200 WCM stores, the average daily revenue scale could reach nearly VND9.5 billion. In addition, MML also contributes 69% to the total meat revenue at WCM, up from 62% in the second quarter and much higher than previous years (49% in 2023 and 55% in 2024).

Masan Group Corporation is one of the leading enterprises in Vietnam, focusing on the consumer - retail sector. With the philosophy of "doing well by doing good", this enterprise aims to provide essential quality products and services, serving the increasingly diverse needs of more than 100 million consumers in Vietnam and internationally.

Masan's ecosystem includes member companies and brands operating in many areas with growth potential such as: Masan Consumer Fast Moving Consumer Goods (Chin-Su, Nam Ngu, Omachi, Kokomi, Wake-Up 247); Branded Meat - Masan MEATLife (MEATDeli, Ponnie, Heo Cao Boi); Retail Chain - WinCommerce (WinMart, WinMart+); Phuc Long Heritage Tea and Coffee Chain (Phuc Long); Masan High-Tech Materials (high-tech materials).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/cong-nghe-va-ban-le-hien-dai-dong-luc-kep-thuc-day-tang-truong-masan-meatlife-20250911153018611.htm