Vietnam
Vietnam has about 500,000 coffee shops, and all major chains combined still account for less than 1% of the market. Chains and street vendors aren't really competing — they sell completely different things.
Vietnam
MWG is spinning off Vietnam's biggest consumer electronics chain, Điện Máy Xanh, at a near-USD 4 billion valuation — but all proceeds repay the parent's short-term debt, and retail investors get a free float of under 15%.
Vietnam
More than 30 empty storefronts on one stretch of Hanoi's Kim Mã street. Rents in some wards down 37% from 2025 peaks. And landlords still can't find tenants. The reason is structural, not seasonal.
Vietnam
Roughly 2.56 million households exempted from tax; mandatory e-invoicing above the threshold; a 12-year-old union fee finally tied to social insurance. Vietnam's three new decrees are rolling out across the first half of 2026.
Vietnam
When Vietnam introduced its two-child policy in 1988, the country's fertility rate was still above 4. Almost 40 years later, the same government is about to start paying women to have babies.
Vietnam Economy
The company calls it selling the factory and going asset-light. But look closer — who is buying, and where does the debt go?
Vietnam
Vietnam has climbed into Numbeo's global top ten for unaffordable housing. Buying a home now takes over 30 years of income, and homes are drifting away from wages.
In-depth analysis of Vietnam's politics, economy, business, technology, and culture.
Most people picture Vietnam's natural disasters as typhoons and floods, not earthquakes. But halfway through this month, Vietnam has already had two. 'Vietnam isn't in a seismic zone' is true — stretching that into 'no earthquakes' misses what's actually happening.
AEON Vietnam runs three private-brand lines — MY CLOSET (apparel), Home Coordy (homewares), TopValu (food) — to encroach on Uniqlo, Nitori, and similar specialty retailers. Plus an 'Accompany & Level Up' program turning Vietnamese factories into AEON's supply chain.
Vietnam's airport Fast Track is a service most other countries don't sell. Pay a small fee, skip a long immigration line, and ride a lane originally meant for diplomats. Klook and GetYourGuide carry the listings. Vietnamese passports cannot use them.
How Vietnam's Labor Ministry designed an approval process that workers paid for, $500 at a time.
Five retail giants are scaling up in Vietnam in 2026, each in a different lane: rural minimarts (WinCommerce), local cooperative (Saigon Co.op), 22-year brand harvest (Central), multi-format retail (AEON), premium complexes (Lotte). All racing past the 13–15% modern-retail window.
Japan's AEON announced a 2030 plan to triple its Vietnam scale: 100 large-format stores, 200 small supermarkets, and another $1.5 billion of investment — turning Vietnam into a second home market as Japan saturates.
The VN-Index hit 1,900. But does that number still represent Vietnam's economy?
Hà Tâm, the gold shop next to Bến Thành Market that nearly every tourist in Saigon has used, has closed. Its company registration is still active. The bigger story is the new FX penalty law that took effect this February.
Sanae Takaichi makes her first visit to Vietnam as Japan's prime minister. The 48-hour trip packs both summits and a major foreign-policy speech into a single day. Hanoi has been picked as the launch pad for Japan's reworked FOIP framework.
Vietnam established Dong Nai as its 7th centrally-governed city on April 30 — 38 days after the Politburo's March 23 endorsement. With 4.49 million people, GDP rank #4, and Long Thanh Airport opening this year, the upgrade aligns with Vietnam's southern metropolitan reset.
Mixue closed more than 400 international stores in its latest fiscal year, with Vietnam and Indonesia bearing the brunt. But local brands like Highlands, Phúc Long and Katinat keep expanding. Vietnam's $1.3 billion beverage chain market is not shrinking — it is splitting along consumer preference.
At noon on April 23, Pham Nhat Vuong's net worth reached $34.9 billion, up $2.9 billion in one day. He is now Forbes' 65th richest person and Southeast Asia's wealthiest. When Forbes first recognized him in 2013, he was worth $1.5 billion and ranked 974th.