GS25 expands its footprint to Hanoi

The six new stores are located in the districts of Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, and Cau Giay, and the chain has plans to increase the number of Hanoi-based stores to over 40 this year.

Since its first entry into Vietnam in 2018, GS25 has mainly operated in Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The chain runs 350 outlets in the south of the country.

Following the expansion to Hanoi, GS25 targets a total of 500 outlets nationwide by 2026, and 700 by 2027.

“Entering Hanoi signifies a transition point as we expand to all parts of Vietnam,” GS Retail managing director Lee Sung-hwa said. “We hope to grow as a convenience store brand that represents Vietnam.”

On March 10, GS25 and Dongwha Pharmaceutical chain Trung Son Pharma inaugurated a shop-in-shop model, in the form of pharmacies within GS25 stores in Vietnam.

The products sold in the store include Dongwha Pharma's medical non-prescription products, vitamins, calcium supplements, immune-enhancing products, functional foods, and more.

Trung Son Pharma and GS25 plan to open more than 10 shop-in-shop pharmacies in major cities in Vietnam this year, where they will sell prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and cosmetics.

RoK convenience store opens 300th establishment in Vietnam GS25, a leading convenience store chain in the Republic of Korea operated by GS Retail, recently opened its 300th store in Vietnam, six years after breaking into the Southeast Asian country.

Convenience stores remain aggressive The convenience store market in Vietnam is highly competitive, with renowned chains expanding aggressively despite facing financial challenges.

Convenience stores seek survival opportunities Despite continuously opening new stores, global convenience store giants consistently report losses each year. Dr. Nguyen Minh Phuc, lecturer at the Department of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the Foreign Trade University, shared insights with VIR’s Hazy Tran regarding the future direction for foreign convenience store chains in Vietnam and the ASEAN region.