AEON Vietnam accompanying Vietnam’s sustainable development for over 10 years

Since the launch of its first shopping mall AEON Tan Phu Celadon in 2014, the Japanese retailer has expanded its presence to five localities with seven shopping malls, general merchandise stores and supermarkets, as well as the small supermarket chain AEON MaxValu. The retailer also established two distribution centres in the south and the north, the e-commerce site AEON Eshop, and more than 20 specialty stores.

AEON Tan Phu Celadon – AEON’s first shopping mall in Vietnam

Over the past decade, AEON has not only expanded business and enhanced customers’ lifestyles, but also contributed to the sustainable development of the business community, human resources, and local people in each place where AEON is present.

Accompanying economic development and local human resources

During 10 years of development, AEON Vietnam has always grown in tandem with more than 3,000 domestic suppliers and partners. The retailer has innovated towards the common goal of providing quality products and services at reasonable prices. AEON aims to bring peace of mind and enrich customers' lifestyles with diverse and convenient shopping experiences.

Furusawa Yasuyuki, general director of AEON Vietnam said, “We want to join hands with local suppliers to help improve production capacity and offer safe, quality, and environmentally friendly products at supermarkets and general department stores across the country. The company has actively organised supplier training as well as business matching activities. At the same time, we also help Vietnamese companies to standardise their goods to bring to AEON's retail chains in Japan and other countries with an export target of $1 billion by 2025.”

Furusawa Yasuyuki shared the standards for the Vietnamese suppliers at the trade connection event in Mekong Delta

“Our top priority is to ensure safety as well as bring satisfaction, peace of mind, and trust to our customers. Therefore, AEON Vietnam focuses on finding partners and suppliers who prioritise customer safety in order to achieve the shared goal of customer happiness by offering high-quality goods and services at competitive costs while fulfilling and adhering to AEON technical standards,” he said.

Through retail operations, AEON Vietnam not only helps to enhance customers’ lifestyles and Vietnamese supplier manufacturing capabilities but also helps to build up local people resources. AEON Vietnam also focuses on raising the quality of its human resources throughout its business operation with the commitment to training and development as the top benefit. The retailer has made three commitments to its employees, including career, professional, and leadership and humanity growth through community contributions.

AEON Vietnam was honoured as Asia's Best Place to Work by HR Asia for four consecutive years

For four years in a row, AEON Vietnam has been recognised by HR Asia for its comprehensive human resource development and training strategy, as well as its mental and physical healthcare policy for more than 4,000 employees.

AEON Vietnam was honoured by HR Asia as Asia's Best Place to Work thanks to the feedback from its staff and reputable HR experts. The company was named one of the 50 most attractive employer brands for Vietnamese students.

Joining hands with the community

During the 10-year journey in Vietnam, AEON Vietnam has always made efforts to contribute to Vietnam's sustainable development goals with projects focusing on economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

The company plays an active role in leading customers towards sustainable consumption trends. The company also launched several initiatives to encourage customers to take action. Since the opening of the first general merchandise store and supermarket in 2014, AEON has used biodegradable plastic bags for its retail system with a rate of up to 96 per cent. Single-use plastic items are gradually being replaced in buffet food areas with environmentally friendly materials including paper cups, trays, and bagasse bowls.

96 per cent of the plastic bags used at AEON Vietnam's retail system are biodegradable

Environmental sustainability has been part of the company's strategy since its inception in Vietnam. Besides initiatives to reduce single-use plastic waste, the company regularly organises tree planting activities when opening a new shopping mall. More than 100,000 trees have been planted by AEON in collaboration with the local community across many provinces such as Hue and Ba Vi.

AEON is also involved in sustainable education for nearly 100 preschools and primary schools

With the pillar of social sustainability, AEON Vietnam implements many activities that contribute to nurturing and developing the young generation, creating positive impacts on society.

AEON scholarships have been granted to more than 1,000 students from various universities. The retailer also organizes the Young Asian Leaders programme for high school students as well as the Sustainable Education programme for more than 80,000 preschool and primary school students.

AEON Ekiden 2022 Relay was a community activity on the 10th anniversary of AEON's establishment

AEON has organised many activities to promote a healthy and happy lifestyle for the local community, such as the virtual running event We Run-We Plant. The company also hosts event series such as the AEON Ekiden – a relay race for the whole family – which coincided with the Vietnam-Japan cultural festival to celebrate AEON Vietnam's 10^th anniversary. The event has been held in Hanoi, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City.

Furusawa said that AEON Group considers Vietnam the second key market after Japan to focus on developing its resources. Therefore, the 260-year-old retailer will continue to expand its point of sale and diversify its retail models, while making efforts to contribute to sustainable development in Vietnam.

“AEON hopes to become a Vietnamese company, serving the Vietnamese market and consumers, with the same responsibilities and obligations as a domestic corporate citizen. This means a lot to us, and we will continue to work tirelessly in the next steps to fulfil our mission,” he said.

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Plenty of opportunities available for AEON Group Vietnam is attracting special attention from various major retailers. Furusawa Yasuyuki, general director of AEON Vietnam, shared with VIR’s Tra My about the development potential of the retail market as well as the plan to expand its operations in Vietnam.