Domestic market still offers ample opportunities

Dong Nai is one of Vietnam’s major industrial production hubs, with more than 70 percent of its output exported to over 180 countries and territories. In 2025, the province’s total import–export turnover exceeded US$58.5 billion. Of this amount, nearly US$23.9 billion was spent on imports to serve production and consumption needs.

According to surveys, many domestic and foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) operating in the province say they are keen to find domestic sources of raw materials and components to take greater control of production, reduce logistics costs, and shorten delivery times. As a result, enterprises with suitable products, assured quality, and competitive prices can readily find customers both within Dong Nai and across the country. This feature gives Dong Nai enterprises room to increase their share of goods sold in the domestic market.

In addition, many enterprises producing finished goods for consumers have also begun paying attention to both export and domestic markets. Amid continued volatility in the global economy, Vietnamese enterprises' export activities are being significantly affected by trade barriers, shifts in consumer demand, and rising logistics costs. Therefore, the domestic market, with a population of nearly 100 million, will become an important pillar for enterprises to maintain growth and stabilize production. However, enterprises seeking to expand their market share at home are striving to improve product appearance and quality for different age groups and genders. At the same time, Vietnamese enterprises need to take a more proactive approach to updating their market outreach strategies and building their brands, so that domestic consumers become more aware of their products.

According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam’s total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue have maintained annual growth of around 9–10 percent in recent years. In 2025, the country’s retail market was estimated to reach about US$240 billion. These figures indicate that the domestic market still offers considerable potential for enterprises seeking to expand their market share.

However, opportunities always come with competition from imported brands from countries such as Japan, South Korea, China, and Thailand. In addition, enterprises seeking to capture the domestic market must also contend with increasingly demanding consumer requirements. As living standards in the country have risen, consumers are concerned not only with product prices but also with quality, design, safety, and brand credibility. This challenge requires enterprises to strengthen production capacity, invest in technological innovation, and improve management processes to create products with higher added value.

Economic experts say that, to tap the domestic market effectively, enterprises must build and develop their brands. For a brand to become widely recognized among Vietnamese consumers, enterprises must carefully study the market, diversify their product offerings, ensure ease of use, and design packaging that is attractive and easy to recognize. At the same time, enterprises must have effective communication strategies so that consumers become aware of the brand and choose its products.

In addition, companies should diversify distribution channels to improve market access. E-commerce and online sales platforms are currently expanding rapidly, with annual growth exceeding 20 percent. These platforms can serve as effective consumption channels for many businesses while also enabling them to quickly capture changes in consumer demand and preferences.

In recent years, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local authorities across the country have implemented numerous domestic trade promotion programs to help businesses expand their markets. In Dong Nai, several initiatives have been launched to support enterprises, including programs that bring Vietnamese goods to rural areas and industrial zones. Nevertheless, maintaining and expanding market share in the domestic market ultimately requires businesses to remain proactive and flexible in developing and strengthening their product brands.

By Khanh Minh – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho