People have been saying Vietnamese e-commerce is about to explode for years. The difference now is that it already has. Online sales are worth tens of billions of dollars, growing at a pace most markets can only dream of. If you sell a product and you are not in Vietnam yet, you are late, but not too late.

So how big is Vietnam’s online market really? Who is winning? And how does a foreign brand get a share? This guide gives you the 2026 numbers and a clear plan.

Vietnam e-commerce in numbers (2025-2026)

Market size

• E-commerce reached about $28 billion in 2025, growing around 25% a year.
• Platform sales in the first half of 2025 hit roughly $8.5 billion, up 23%.
• Vietnam is one of the fastest growing online markets in the region.
• Most buyers are Gen Z and Millennials, over 72% of online shoppers.

Who leads

• Shopee: around 56% of platform sales, the market leader.
• TikTok Shop: about 42% share, with sales up 148% in H1 2025.
• Together they hold roughly 97% of platform sales.
• Lazada and local players share what is left.

How they buy

• Live selling and short video drive a huge share of sales.
• Buyers discover, chat and pay inside the same app.
• Free shipping and vouchers close carts.
• Cash on delivery is still common alongside wallets and cards.

The backdrop

• 85.6 million internet users, 127 million mobile connections.
• Facebook reaches 92% of internet users, Zalo has 78 million users.
• Mobile is the default screen for shopping.
• Trust is social: people buy what friends and creators recommend.

Why Vietnamese e-commerce got so big

Three things came together. A young, mobile-first population that lives on the phone. Cheap data and near-universal social media. And a wave of platforms that made buying as easy as watching a video. Vietnamese shoppers went from cash and markets to live-stream shopping in under a decade. Now they discover products on TikTok, ask questions in the chat, and pay before the live ends.

The market is also young in age. More than seven in ten online shoppers are Gen Z or Millennials. They are trend-driven, price-aware and loyal to brands that entertain and answer them. This is why content and live selling beat traditional ads here.

How a foreign brand wins in Vietnam e-commerce

Pick your platforms, then commit

Open Shopee for reach and TikTok Shop for discovery. Do not spread across five channels on day one. Two done well, plus a Facebook page and Zalo for service, is the setup that pays. Match the platform to your buyer: Gen Z leans TikTok, Millennials lean Shopee.

Sell live, not just list

A product page alone is invisible. Live selling drives a large share of orders. Set a regular schedule, use hosts or creators, run flash deals, and answer questions in real time. Consistency builds a buying habit.

Win on content and creators

Short video is the engine of discovery. Post often, keep it local and fun, and work with creators who fit your niche. A mid-size creator with an engaged audience often sells more than a celebrity. Reviews and real user videos build the trust that closes sales.

Make delivery and payment easy

Offer fast shipping, free where you can, and keep cash on delivery alongside wallets and cards. Vietnamese buyers check delivery time and cost before they buy. Friction at checkout loses sales.

The mistakes that cost foreign brands

• Listing and waiting. One brand opened a Shopee store, added no content or live sessions, and made almost no sales. The market rewards active sellers.
• Ignoring TikTok Shop. A brand that stayed only on Shopee missed the fastest growing channel in the market.
• Translated content. Stiff, non-local copy gets skipped. Vietnamese, warm and trend-aware wins.
• Slow or costly shipping. Buyers abandon carts when delivery looks slow or expensive.
• No customer service. Unanswered questions in chat mean lost orders.

What this means for you

Vietnam’s e-commerce boom is real and still accelerating. Get on Shopee and TikTok Shop, sell live, invest in content and creators, and make delivery and payment easy. Move now, while the market is still opening up. For the wider picture, see the economy of Vietnam and the yearly Digital 2025 Vietnam report.

Read next on our blog: our social media strategies for international brands and the latest consumer trends in Vietnam.

FAQ: e-commerce in Vietnam

How big is e-commerce in Vietnam?

About $28 billion in 2025, growing around 25% a year, one of the fastest rates in Southeast Asia. Shopee and TikTok Shop together hold roughly 97% of platform sales.

Which platform should a foreign brand start with?

Shopee for reach and TikTok Shop for discovery. Most brands run both, plus a Facebook page and Zalo for customer service. Gen Z leans to TikTok, Millennials to Shopee.

Is live selling really that important?

Yes. Live selling drives a large share of orders and grew fast in 2025. Regular lives, hosted by your team or creators, are now a core sales channel, not an extra.

How do Vietnamese customers pay online?

A mix of e-wallets, bank transfers, cards and cash on delivery. Cash on delivery is still common, so offer it alongside digital options to cover every buyer.

Grow your e-commerce in Vietnam with GMA

We help foreign brands sell online in Vietnam and across Asia. Our team sets up and runs your Shopee and TikTok Shop, produces short video and live selling, manages content, creators and ads, and connects you with local partners for payment and delivery. If you want a share of Vietnam’s e-commerce boom, tell us about your project and we will map the first steps with you.

GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency) is a French agency based in Shanghai with more than 75 specialists. We run marketing and distribution for foreign brands across Asia, from Vietnam and China to Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. One team, one network, from first strategy to first sale.