Representatives from VietKings award a record certification to Saigon Co.op. — Photo courtesy of Saigon Co.op

HCM CITY — The HCM City Union of Trading Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op) has been awarded a Vietnamese record for an online map created from 50,000 celebratory photos of partners and customers taken with the national flag.

The project was part of its “Happy Journey 2025” campaign, during which a themed vehicle travelled across the country, stopping at 50 locations to invite customers to take photos with the Vietnamese flag.

The campaign also ran online to spread patriotism and national pride. For each photo submitted, Saigon Co.op donated VNĐ5,000 to social welfare projects.

Recognising the creativity and significance of the initiative, the Vietnam Records Organisation (VietKings) officially certified the artwork as a national record. VietKings noted that the project is not only a creative communications campaign but also a meaningful symbol of unity and love for the homeland.

The record was presented during the “Continuing Pride – Sparking Happiness” programme, held in HCM City on June 26 to celebrate Saigon Co.op’s 35-year journey of bringing happiness to Vietnamese families as well as the 30th anniversary of Co.opmart, the first modern, homegrown retail system in the country.

Founded in 1989 as the HCM City Buying and Selling Cooperative, Saigon Co.op has since grown into a retail powerhouse with nearly 1,000 outlets across various formats, including convenience stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, shopping centres, and e-commerce platforms.

Co.opmart, its flagship supermarket brand, laid the foundation for Việt Nam’s modern retail industry. Today, it is a trusted household name, promoting Vietnamese goods and meeting the daily needs of local consumers through quality products, dedicated service, and a strong sense of national identity.

The Co.opmart chain currently operates more than 120 supermarkets nationwide, generating annual revenue of over VNĐ30 trillion (US$1.15 billion).

According to Vũ Anh Khoa, chairman of Saigon Co.op, the organisation remains steadfast in its mission as a community-oriented cooperative, contributing to social welfare, uplifting community spirit, and actively supporting the “Vietnamese people prioritise using Vietnamese goods” campaign. At the same time, it is working to enhance the value chain of Vietnamese products in the market.

Looking ahead, Saigon Co.op will accelerate digital transformation and optimise its retail ecosystem across brands such as Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food, Co.op Smile, Finelife, Cheers, Sense City, SenseMarket, and the Charmant Suites hotel to enhance supply chain efficiency and service quality, and deliver increasingly modern, youthful, and satisfying experiences to consumers, Khoa said. — VNS