Summary

Key Highlights
In Vietnam, E-Commerce revenue continues to surge with the formation of new markets and the opportunities for growth for established markets. With their growing middle classes and lagging offline shopping infrastructure, East and Southeast Asia are expected to drive this trend.
The Vietnamese government is actively promoting a cashless society to lower cash transactions to less than 10% of total payments and reach 70% of the banking population. The Vietnamese government approved a national e-Commerce growth master plan in May 2020. This master plan is perfectly aligned with current Vietnamese Fourth Industrial Revolution strategies and policies, with the overarching goal of establishing a digital economy and fostering national digital transformation.
Moreover, the plan intends to encourage enterprises and consumers to use e-commerce, close the gap between major cities and localities, create a sustainable virtual market, and increase cross-border online trading. The Vietnamese government, in particular, is actively promoting a cashless society, intending to reach a cashless payment rate of over 50% by 2025.
Vietnam has one of the most favorable legal environments in the ASEAN region. Five of the six legislation intended to regulate e-commerce activity have been passed in the country. The e-commerce sector has dominated the recent development of the country's ecosystem of transportation, distribution, and fulfillment services. Vietnam is a member of thirteen free trade agreements (FTAs) that allow goods to be imported and exported with reduced or zero customs tariffs as of 2020.


Key Market Trends

Rise of Digital Payments Across the Vietnam


The growth of Vietnam's digital payments sector is fueled by the expansion of e-commerce as an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar sales. Increased desire for contact-free and cashless transactions has been facilitated by improved acceptance of digital financial technology (fintech) and the COVID-19 pandemic. Cash payments presently account for about a significant share of all e-commerce transactions in Vietnam. Still, this figure is anticipated to decline by 2025 with increasing interest in digital payment modes.
Moreover, the increasing use of digital payment mechanisms in Vietnam is fueled by the country's burgeoning e-commerce economy and positive regulatory reforms. E-wallets have the most significant growth estimates of all payment modes over the forecasted period compared to other digital payment methods.
The rapid expansion of Vietnam's 4G infrastructure has reduced mobile internet costs. The country's mobile phone base has grown to over 100 million registered subscriptions because of affordable mobile internet access. One of the pillars for the quick adoption of e-commerce and digital payments in Vietnam has been many internet users and cheap internet connections.
For Instance, in September 2020, the Indonesian ride-hailing company Gojek recently purchased the controlling share in WePay, a Vietnamese payments startup. Gojek will be able to receive an e-wallet license as a result of this agreement, allowing it to expand its digital enterprises in the region. Gojek has obtained partnerships with 24 local banks, 1000 retailers, and four international card issuers with this acquisition.


Rise in Regional E-commerce Platforms


Vietnam's ability to foster e-commerce is demonstrated by the success of various Vietnamese-origin e-commerce platforms, such as Tiki, Sendo, and Thegioididong. These platforms have grown into big e-commerce powerhouses thanks to investments from Japan, Germany, the United States, South Korea, China, and Singapore.
For Instance, in December 2020, Tiki raised USD 130.0 million from NorthStar Group, in addition to majority ownership from China's JD.com. Another example of these investments is Sendo.vn's acquisition by Japan's SBI Holdings for USD 51.0 million. Grab and Gojek, the two most valuable startups in the region, are weighing the pros and cons of a possible merger. This transaction has the potential to change the e-commerce landscape in Southeast Asia.
Furthermore, merchants should prioritize mobile commerce to beat the domestic competition: only 19 percent of local merchants' websites are mobile-friendly. According to JP Morgan, apps are preferred over browsers for making online purchases in Vietnam, accounting for 62% of all transactions.
Shopee, Lazada, and Tiki.vn are the leading shopping applications for monthly active users in Vietnam. Shopee and Lazada are fighting it out for a market share in Southeast Asia. On the other hand, Amazon does not have a significant market share in the country.


Competitive Landscape

Thegioididong.com is one of the key players in the Vietnamese e- commerce market. Other major players include fptshop.com.vn, and shopee.vn.. The studied market is dominated by these major three players. These are popular sites to decide which ones would be the best fit for users' items in terms of visitor volume, competition, and the types of e-commerce consumers they attract.


February 2022 - Vietnamese cross-border eCommerce company OpenCommerce Group (OCG) has raised USD 7.0 million in Series A funding round led by VNG, a media company that is Vietnam’s first unicorn. OCG says its products also support sellers with offerings that include order management, shipping, marketing, and payments. The company says it has helped more than 86,700 sellers in 195 countries set up their stores, generating USD 670.0 million in gross merchandise volume.
April 2022 - Tiki has launched Shop2Earn, a new blockchain-based rewards program that allows customers to gain more financial benefits from their bonus points. Tiki users will be rewarded with Astra instead, which can be traded on Tiki Exchange. As such, the value of Astra fluctuates and is currently pegged to Tiki Coin – one Tiki Coin is equivalent to one Vietnamese dong.


Additional Benefits:

The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support

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