2026.05.29
TikTok Shop announced a plan, in partnership with the E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, to build e-commerce sales bases in more than 3,000 communes (villages/wards) nationwide. It will invest VND 100 billion (about JPY 600 million) in the second half of 2026 to train rural producers as live commerce sellers.
This program is designed with a two-layer structure: "One Province, One Shop" and "e-commerce communes." Each province has an official store on TikTok Shop, under which sales accounts for each individual commune hang.
TikTok Shop is not just a sales channel — it provides an all-in-one package of support covering seller training, selecting flagship products, building online communities, and raising overall digital sales capability. Products certified under the OCOP (One Commune, One Product) program and agricultural producers are especially prioritized targets.
The pilot project has already launched in Binh Lu Commune, Lai Chau Province, with Bac Ninh, Ha Tinh, and Thai Nguyen Provinces stepping forward as candidates for the next round.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of target communes | More than 3,000 |
| Investment amount | VND 100 billion (about JPY 600 million / about USD 3.8 million) |
| Implementation timing | Second half of 2026 |
| Pilot location | Binh Lu Commune, Lai Chau Province |
| Next candidates | Bac Ninh, Ha Tinh, and Thai Nguyen Provinces |
| Partners | Ministry of Industry and Trade's E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency |
Under the OCOP (One Commune, One Product) program promoted by the Vietnamese government, more than 200,000 products have already received the certification label. However, many of them have only been distributed through offline direct-sale outlets and local markets, and reaching consumers nationwide has been a challenge.
As its 2025 track record, TikTok Shop provided live commerce training to more than 30,000 sellers and sold more than 200 tons of fresh fruit in the agricultural products category over nine months. The Sau Rieng (durian) brand from its growing region sold more than 10 tons within 48 hours, and northwestern ginseng potatoes have shipped a cumulative total of more than 600 tons.
TikTok Shop's penetration into rural areas carries two implications for Japanese companies' e-commerce strategy in Vietnam. First, procurement routes for agricultural products are changing. Agricultural products that buyers previously had to visit production areas to purchase can now be traded directly on TikTok Shop. This also affects sourcing of raw materials for OEM dried fruit and processed food products.
Second, it adds a channel for Japanese consumer goods brands to reach consumers in rural Vietnam. The seller network across 3,000 communes could function directly as a distribution network into rural areas.
TikTok Shop's rural e-commerce strategy is being piloted in Vietnam, but if successful, it is highly likely to be rolled out horizontally to other Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. As a move to rebuild China's "Taobao Village" model into an ASEAN version, it could become a game changer for the e-commerce industry as a whole.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Number of OCOP-certified products | More than 200,000 |
| TikTok Shop's seller training track record | More than 30,000 people (2025) |
| Agricultural product sales track record | More than 200 tons (fresh fruit, over nine months) |
| Support provided | Fee discounts, ad credits, discount vouchers, training |
| Vietnam's e-commerce market size | High growth continuing (estimates vary by research firm) |
TikTok Shop's plan to turn 3,000 communes into e-commerce hubs is an attempt to shift Vietnam's e-commerce market from an urban-centered model to one distributed nationwide. Building on the online conversion of 200,000 OCOP products and a track record of training more than 30,000 rural sellers, a live commerce model of direct-from-production-area sales is now getting into full swing. For Japanese companies, this is a move worth watching as a new channel for both raw material sourcing and reaching rural markets.
Related article: TikTok invests $125 million in Ho Chi Minh City
Related article: TikTok Shop Vietnam begins integrating its own logistics
Related article: Shopee x Meta launch Facebook affiliate integration in Vietnam
Source: VnExpress
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