Various products are displayed for sale during an online shopping session on an e-commerce platform. Photo thesaigontimes.vn

One exciting trend expected to grow significantly this year is video shopping, prompting sellers to enhance multi-channel strategies, improve services and offer exclusive promotions to stay competitive in the vibrant e-commerce market.

Việt Nam’s e-commerce market is projected to reach nearly VNĐ400 trillion (about US$16 billion) in 2025, with an increasing preference for interactive and video-driven shopping experiences. This shift, coupled with the entry of major brands and celebrities, is pushing smaller sellers to adapt quickly to stay competitive and keep up with evolving economic trends and consumer preferences.

Chu Thị Hiền, a KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) and content creator based in Hangzhou, China, said she believed in 2025, smaller sellers must find their niche to stay competitive as big brands and celebrities enter the market.

She said that in order to succeed in live-stream sales, sellers should collaborate with at least 15 brands and aim for 10,000 to 20,000 orders per session.

She had to invest in customer service, product testing and partnerships with Chinese brands to offer the best products in a limited time.

Hiền said that since last year, personal channels had shifted focus from livestreaming to video content and content conversion combined with a shopping cart to generate orders.

“Instead of just focusing on deep discounts during live streams, sellers will need to build sustainable business models, especially as big brands and celebrities enter the market,” Hiền was quoted as saying in thesaigontimes.vn.

A report by Rentrack shows that by 2024, 2.71 billion shopped online worldwide, making up 33 per cent of the world population. Global retail e-commerce sales are expected to grow by 39 per cent, reaching over $8 trillion by 2027.

In Việt Nam, e-commerce continues to maintain a steady growth of 18-25 per cent annually. In 2024, the market size surpassed $25 billion, a 20 per cent increase compared to 2023, accounting for around 9 per cent of the total retail goods and consumer service revenue nationwide.

Live shopping has remained the leading trend in recent years, allowing businesses to sell their products or services directly to consumers. Mega livestreams, low-price programmes and vouchers can attract short-term customers, but market insiders also pointed out small sellers must focus on sustainability and optimisation due to rising e-commerce platform costs.

More competitive

Trương Nhật Dương, e-commerce director at Accesstrade Việt Nam, predicted that the entry of large Chinese platforms like Temu, 1688 and Shein in 2025 would make the e-commerce market more competitive, but demand for high-quality, affordable products would remain key.

He emphasised that video shopping and live-streaming would be central drivers.

According to a recent Accesstrade report, the affiliate marketing industry in Việt Nam was estimated to triple during 2022-24. Sellers and content creators will need to personalise shopping experiences, as e-commerce platforms invest in artificial intelligence and data analytics to better understand individual needs and suggest relevant products.

"Consumers remain highly price-sensitive and seek the best deals through convenient channels like video shopping and livestreaming. AI-driven personalisation and data analytics will play a crucial role in shaping consumer preferences and improving product recommendations," Dương said.

A consumer shops online. VNA/VNS Photo

According to a Metric report, Vietnamese people were estimated to spend VNĐ319 trillion on online shopping in 2024, averaging VNĐ874 billion ($34.4 million) per day (sales combined from five major e-commerce platforms — Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo and TikTok Shop). This accounts for nearly 6.5 per cent of total retail sales in Việt Nam.

Consumer trends are shifting towards essentials, with an increased preference for genuine or imported products. Notably, imports saw a significant rise, contributing to a 43 per cent growth in sales on Shopee.

Demand for affordable products remains strong. In 2024, the budget segment (under VNĐ200,000) recorded a 3.7 per cent increase in revenue and market share, while high-end products (above VNĐ1 million) saw market share decline to 15.9 per cent from 20.8 per cent.

Metric forecasts that in 2025 e-commerce sales will increase by over 20 per cent in both sales and product volume. Online shopping is expected to continue growing, driven by promotions and the blend of e-commerce with social media.

The Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade forecasts the e-commerce market is projected to exceed $31 billion in 2025, with 60 per cent of the population engaged in e-commerce.

Khôi Lê, country director of Meta Vietnam, also noted that video content, especially livestreaming, would dominate in 2025.

Insider Intelligence reports that 60 per cent of time on Instagram and Facebook is spent on videos, with Facebook leading livestreaming in Việt Nam — 88 per cent of users participate, and 76 per cent make purchases based on livestreams.

Experts suggest that sellers should align with consumer preferences by offering smart, multifunctional, and eco-friendly products. Small-scale affiliate marketers can leverage technology to enhance customer engagement through tailored product offerings.

For content-driven marketers, building trust and authenticity will be crucial. This includes ensuring transparent product sourcing, genuine brand commitments and offering certified and traceable goods. VNS