10/18/2026
🛒🇻🇳 GO!, AEON or Co.opmart: why does each chain chase a different shopper?
Three major retailers, three different customer groups.
That is a deliberate choice.
Who is each chain targeting?
→ GO! (97 outlets): price sensitive shoppers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
→ AEON (36 outlets): higher income shoppers in Tier 1 cities
→ Co.opmart (117 outlets): community shoppers, strongest in the South
Why not compete for the same customers?
Vietnam's modern trade reached USD 57 billion in 2024, but grew only 5% a year over 2020 to 2024 (Cimigo). With slow growth, each chain holds its own lane.
What do shoppers care about?
87% choose a supermarket for fresh food, 76% for prices on essentials (Insight Asia). GO! answers with "Always Low Prices". AEON positions itself as premium. Co.opmart positions itself as the community store.
How big is each player?
→ Central Retail Vietnam (owner of GO!): VND 29 trillion in the first nine months of 2025
→ Saigon Co.op (owner of Co.opmart): over VND 32 trillion in 2025
→ AEON Vietnam: over JPY 100 billion in fiscal 2025 (about USD 700 million)
Who is accelerating?
AEON targets over JPY 300 billion in revenue and around 300 outlets by 2030. Saigon Co.op aims for double digit growth in 2026, expanding to more than 900 points of sale. Central Retail has committed another USD 1.45 billion for 2023 to 2028.
What does it mean for businesses?
Suppliers get three different channels: GO! in the provinces, AEON in big cities, Co.opmart in the South. But all three are expanding in a slow growing market, so pressure on prices and margins will rise.
Pick the right customer before you pick the channel.
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