Research Purpose:
This article analyzes how digital retail platforms, acting as powerful non-human change agents, are re-engineering Vietnam’s retail industry by transforming its core logic, competitive dynamics, and socio-economic fabric.
Research Motivation:
Motivated by Vietnam’s explosive e-commerce growth, this study addresses a scholarly gap concerning the structural changes driven by platforms. Existing literature often focuses on quantitative metrics or is anchored in Western/Chinese contexts, overlooking the unique dynamics of an emerging Southeast Asian economy.
Research Design, Approach, and Method:
This study employs a desk research methodology, synthesizing academic literature with secondary data from industry and government reports. A qualitative, analytical approach utilizes case illustrations of platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, and TikTok Shop to ground the analysis in the Vietnamese context.
Main Findings:
The findings reveal that platforms have shifted Vietnam’ s retail logic from a linear pipeline to a data-driven ecosystem. They have catalyzed behavioral changes, compelling consumer personalization, and forcing sellers into reactive, data-centric strategies. While modernizing logistics, this has also led to a foreign-dominated market duopoly, marginalizing domestic players and creating socio-economic challenges such as a precarious gig economy.
Practical/Managerial Implications:
The findings imply that retailers must adopt omnichannel and niche strategies to compete. Policymakers are urged to develop an agile regulatory framework that balances innovation with fair competition, addresses labor precarity, and bridges the digital divide.
