Vietnam’s e-commerce story continues to be one of Southeast Asia’s brightest spots. In 2024, Vietnam’s total online retail revenue surpassed $25 billion, marking an important milestone for the digital economy. This growth shows no sign of slowing: 65% of Vietnamese people shopped online at least once a week in 2025, significantly above the regional average of 50%, making Vietnam one of the region’s most dynamic online consumer markets.
However, this growth is accompanied by rising expectations. Vietnamese consumers are no longer looking only for good prices; they are also demanding faster delivery, better product quality and a stronger overall shopping experience from sellers and e-commerce platforms.
According to Milieu's report, in the last 6 months, 41% of Vietnamese consumers said they shop online more often and spend more, nearly double the regional average (25%).
This reflects strong consumer confidence in Vietnam’s digital retail environment and the market’s rapid development. However, greater activity also brings higher expectations: frequent shoppers are less tolerant of delivery delays, order errors or poor service.
More and more Vietnamese consumers are making purchasing decisions based on factors beyond price.
However, product variety is more important in Vietnam than the regional average (52% versus 47%).
Besides, new shopping forms and tools are also shaping consumer habits:
These figures show that Vietnam’s e-commerce platforms are changing: they are becoming not only places to hunt for deals but also spaces for discovery, convenience and deeper consumer engagement.
Vietnamese consumers expect e-commerce platforms to ensure service quality, including through delivery partners
Although Vietnam’s e-commerce market is growing rapidly, its logistics ecosystem still faces familiar challenges. Late delivery (37%) and long shipping times (34%) are the two most common problems, alongside damaged or lost goods (32%).
Although these rates are slightly lower than the regional average, Vietnamese consumers react more strongly when problems occur: 25% are willing to switch platforms, while 50% will complain directly to the marketplace’s customer service team. Both figures are higher than among users in other Southeast Asian countries.
Notably, shoppers do not distinguish between the platform and the delivery provider. They expect e-commerce marketplaces to be responsible for delivery standards regardless of their relationship with third parties.
In Vietnam, 90% of consumers believe marketplaces should have delivery-quality control standards, slightly above the regional 88%. At the same time, 79% say the delivery company’s brand does not matter as long as goods arrive safely and on time, compared with just 63% regionally.
When asked which improvements they wanted most, Vietnamese consumers prioritize reliability (53%) and and more careful handling of goods (51%),, higher than their concern about low delivery fees (45%)..
By contrast, at the regional level, consumers care more about cheap shipping (56%) and and fast delivery (55%)..
Transparency also plays a key role in shopping.
However, many are willing to pay more for peace of mind.
Conversely, one in three consumers say they will stop buying after a poor experience, such as late delivery or an unclear refund policy. More specifically, 40% would stop shopping entirely if a seller had no refund policy, and 23% would stop buying if an order could not be delivered reliably.
Returns and refunds now play a central role in Vietnam’s online shopping experience. Nearly half of consumers (46%) say they would abandon a purchase without a clear return policy. At the same time, 31% are willing to pay more for a flexible return policy, seeing it as a quality commitment rather than an optional benefit.
Notably, although consumers want flexibility, they do not abuse this policy.
This shows that Vietnamese consumers use returns as a reasonable way to protect their rights, not as a tool to “try products for free.” For businesses, this means return policies should be treated as a way to strengthen trust and brand loyalty, not as a cost burden.
To attract and retain Vietnam’s rapidly growing online shopper base, businesses cannot rely only on discounts and promotions. The data shows that a buyer-centric customer experience directly influences purchase decisions, repeat frequency and loyalty.
Invest in reliable logistics, accurate product information and secure packaging. For shoppers who buy several times a week, consistency and accuracy matter more than low prices or delivery speed.
Make every fee transparent, maintain fast-responding customer service and ensure a clear refund policy. These seemingly basic factors determine whether shoppers return for a second purchase.
Vietnamese consumers enjoy discovery and high interaction. Product variety, shopping livestreams, flexible buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options and AI product recommendations are therefore becoming key drivers that make platforms more attractive and personalized.
Vietnam’s e-commerce market presents a clear opportunity: sellers that balance fair pricing, reliability and experience innovation will win not only sales but also consumers’ long-term trust.
To capture this growth, platforms need to provide a seamless, reliable shopping journey from start to finish, from attractive offers and stable logistics to flexible policies and peace of mind during transactions. Vietnamese consumers have higher expectations than ever, and importantly, they are willing to pay more for an experience that delivers.
Source: Compiled
