China’s convenience store giant Meiyijia opens first Ohmee outlets in Vietnam

As per its operation strategy, Meiyijia will partner with local operators to adapt its business model to each market.

The company confirmed that the first three Ohmee stores in Vietnam are now operating in Hanoi, located at 35 Tran Kim Xuyen Street, 53 Trieu Khuc Street, and Vinhomes Smart City, according to Markettimes magazine.

While the initial footprint remains small compared with established convenience store chains in Vietnam, industry observers say the significance lies in the group’s long-term expansion strategy rather than store numbers.

Hung Tran, marketing director of Ohmee in Vietnam, said the company will directly operate the first stores to control customer experience, optimize operations, and standardize its model.

Ohmee then plans to expand through franchising, following a model that helped Meiyijia scale rapidly to tens of thousands of stores in its domestic market.

The ‘direct-operated first, franchise later’ approach is widely used in retail to establish operational standards before accelerating expansion through external capital and partners, according to Markettimes.

Founded in 1997, Meiyijia reached 20,000 stores in China by 2020 and has since doubled its network to around 40,000 outlets in less than five years, underscoring its rapid domestic growth.

According to Singapore-based market research firm Momentum Works, this expansion has been driven by extensive digitalization across operations, including store management, supply chains and franchising systems.

Beyond retail, Meiyijia has also evolved into a major distributor of fast-moving consumer goods in China, particularly beverages and snacks.

However, Momentum Works said Meiyijia’s expansion in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam under the Ohmee brand, is likely to face early challenges due to differences in retail structure, income levels, and urban development compared with China.

According to a 2024–25 report on Vietnam’s convenience store market by DPS Media JSC, WinMart+ is the largest chain by store count with about 4,500 outlets, followed by Circle K, GS25, FamilyMart, and 7-Eleven.

The market size is projected to reach VND12.16 trillion (US$461 million) by 2025, expanding at an annual rate of more than 13 percent.

The report said the sector is entering a strong growth phase, driven by shifting consumption habits among Gen Z and the rapid expansion of convenience store networks into rural areas.

Convenience stores are also increasingly evolving into ‘life service stations’ with more integrated services.

Momentum Works said the ability to adapt business models to local conditions, as seen in Meiyijia’s Ohmee brand, will be key to long-term success in the region.