Many online shops 'make money' despite difficult market

While many local brands and small shops have had to leave the market, e-commerce has witnessed a growth breakthrough for many brands.

Vietnamese consumers are becoming increasingly familiar with online shopping - Photo: QUANG DINH

The total revenue of the fashion industry on e-commerce platforms is expected to reach trillions of VND in the first half of 2025.

According to the latest data from the market analytics platform YouNet ECI, the total revenue of the authentic fashion industry (excluding accessories) on the three platforms Shopee, Lazada, and Tiki in the first six months of 2025 reached VND 9,069 billion , an increase of 21% compared to the same period in 2024.

Many online shops are experiencing outstanding growth.

Notably, all of the top 10 brands with sustainable growth in e-commerce are Vietnamese brands, with double-digit growth rates.

According to YouNet ECI, brands that record outstanding revenue often focus on Gen Z and male customers, two segments that are dominating e-commerce platforms.

Coolmate topped the rankings with revenue exceeding 64 billion VND, a 37% increase compared to the same period last year.

Coolmate's success is attributed by YouNet ECI experts to its strategy of focusing on minimalist, highly functional clothing for men, while also expanding into women's products.

This brand also invests heavily in marketing, collaborating with KOLs and creating relatable content such as styling tips and daily sports activities to build a loyal customer base.

Coolmate start-up employees working in the warehouse - Photo: COOLMATE

Another example is Calem.Club, a fashion brand targeting Gen Z. Despite not having any offline stores, Calem.Club effectively capitalizes on the "shoppertainment" trend.

Accordingly, this brand cleverly used trending videos on TikTok to attract customers to live streams and close sales through TikTok Shop or Shopee. This approach helped the brand quickly break through and become a notable figure in e-commerce.

We need to change to survive.

Experts at YouNet ECI believe that the breakthrough of Coolmate, Calem.Club, and many other local brands shows that Vietnamese fashion is undergoing a strong professionalization on digital platforms.

Gen Z and the younger generation consider online shopping a daily habit, so launching trendy products combined with an effective digital communication strategy helps Vietnamese brands not only survive but also grow.

However, the e-commerce landscape is not entirely rosy. A report from market data analytics platform Metric.vn shows that in the first six months of 2025 alone, the number of shops generating orders decreased by more than 80,000 compared to the same period in 2024 and by more than 55,000 compared to the second half of last year.

Conversely, YouNet ECI data indicates that remaining retailers recorded positive results: average revenue increased by 27.6% year-on-year, and the average value per product also edged up by 5.4%. Notably, the well-managed and quality-controlled Mall Shop group achieved a growth rate of up to 34%.

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam - Director of YouNet ECI - emphasized: "Customers are increasingly valuing brand, trustworthiness, and shopping experience rather than just chasing the cheapest prices. Online sellers are forced to build long-term credibility, understand consumer behavior, and invest systematically in operations if they want to survive."

Sharing the same view, marketing expert Nguyen Viet Dung recommends that small shops focus on niche segments – market areas that large businesses haven't fully covered – such as handicrafts, regional specialties, or trendy items. "This is a promising area if you know how to operate properly," he said.

YouNet ECI forecasts that Vietnam's e-commerce market will continue to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 35% until 2028. The two main drivers of this growth are the "shoppertainment" model and the trend of increasing basket size.

Nhat Xuan

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhieu-shop-online-hai-ra-tien-bat-chap-thi-truong-kho-khan-20250908181354797.htm