Purchasing power is improving, consumer and retail businesses are accelerating expansion

New model at WinMart Tran Duy Hung supermarket, Hanoi - Photo: TL

Consumer market is booming

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), the total retail sales of goods and consumer services revenue in August 2025 is estimated at 588.2 thousand billion VND , up 10.6% over the same period last year. Accumulated in the first 8 months of the year, this figure reached 4,579.0 thousand billion VND , up 9.4%, higher than the 8.9% increase in the same period in 2024.

In the spending structure, essential consumer goods such as food, foodstuffs and beverages still account for a large proportion and play a leading role. In addition, the recovery of the tourism industry also contributes to promoting consumption.

Customers experience the fresh agricultural shopping space at WinMart - Photo: TL

These figures show that consumption has become a "bright spot" of the economy in a context where other driving forces such as exports and foreign investment still face many potential challenges.

Notably, spending needs are not limited to big cities, but spread to localities, especially when modern commercial infrastructure is increasingly expanded.

Not limited to urban supermarkets, modern retail channels are expanding to rural areas and satellite cities.

This also opens up a large space for domestic businesses, which understand the needs and have the ability to deploy quickly on a large scale.

Domestic enterprises accelerate

In that general market picture, Masan Group (HOSE: MSN) is one of the leading enterprises in the consumer - retail sector, reflecting the trend.

For example WinCommerce (WCM), a modern retail system under Masan, has opened 415 more stores in the first 8 months of this year, with about 75% located in rural areas, where consumer demand is growing rapidly and increasingly approaching urban areas.

In August alone, this chain recorded revenue of VND3,573 billion, an increase of 24.2% over the same period last year, bringing the cumulative 8-month revenue to VND25,000 billion, far exceeding the annual growth plan.

It is noteworthy that all newly opened stores quickly achieved positive profits, a rare result in the retail industry, where it often takes a long time for new stores to achieve financial efficiency.

The rapid expansion is largely concentrated in rural areas, which account for more than 60% of the country's population and are seeing consumption levels increasingly approaching urban levels.

Bringing the modern retail model closer to this area not only helps increase the coverage of the system, but also clearly reflects the shifting trend in consumption: from traditional shopping to choosing convenient, transparent channels with better quality control.

This also helps explain why WCM's new stores can quickly become financially viable, even though it often takes time for a new point of sale to break even in the retail industry.

At the same time, in July 2025, the average daily revenue of the meat segment - Masan MEATLife (UpCoM: MML) at each store reached nearly 2.3 million VND.

If present in all 4,200+ stores, the average daily revenue could reach nearly 9.5 billion. billion VND , reflecting significant growth potential from modern retail channels.

In addition, this chilled meat brand currently contributes 69% to total meat revenue at the WCM retail system, up from 62% in the second quarter and much higher than previous years.

This shows the growing role of branded foods in driving sales, and reflects the increasingly modern consumer trends of the people.

Despite recent positive business results, consumer and retail businesses still face many challenges. The domestic market is increasingly competitive with the participation of international corporations and the rapid expansion of many domestic chains.

In addition, opening hundreds of new stores each year means great pressure on operating costs, from rental space, logistics to personnel. In addition, fluctuations in input material prices can also affect profit margins, especially in the food industry.

These factors show that to maintain sustainable growth, businesses need to both expand scale and optimize costs and manage risks effectively.

However, in the context of an increasing consumer market and recent positive results, it creates a basis for expectation. Masan can achieve the goals set for 2025, while reflecting the adaptability of domestic enterprises in an increasingly competitive environment.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/suc-mua-khoi-sac-doanh-nghiep-tieu-dung-ban-le-tang-toc-mo-rong-3376112.html