{"id":662,"date":"2026-03-27T12:30:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T03:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/india-marketing.jp\/vietnam-news\/vietnam-chinese-fb-brands-japanese-strategy-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T07:20:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T22:20:53","slug":"vietnam-chinese-fb-brands-japanese-strategy-2026","status":"publish","type":"vietnam-news","link":"https:\/\/india-marketing.jp\/en\/vietnam-news\/vietnam-chinese-fb-brands-japanese-strategy-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The shock of Mixue's 1,304 stores \u2014 as the Chinese F&B brand invasion of Vietnam proceeds, Japanese food companies are being asked for \"speed\" and \"localization\""},"content":{"rendered":"
\nThis article is based on what we could verify As of August 1, 2026<\/strong> This article is based on public materials and news reports from Vietnam. Vietnam's tax system, regulations, and administrative divisions change frequently, so information here may have been updated since publication. For actual business decisions, please confirm the latest details with the relevant government authorities or local experts as primary sources.\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Vietnam's F&B (food and beverage) market surpassed about VND 688.8 trillion (about USD 27.3 billion) in 2024, recording strong growth of 16.6% year on year. It is projected to reach about USD 27.4 billion in 2026, with some forecasts putting it at USD 36.9 billion by 2027 (CAGR 9.7%).<\/p>\n

On the numbers alone, this looks like a \"huge opportunity.\" But looking squarely at what is happening in this market right now reveals a picture that is far from optimistic for Japanese food and beverage companies.<\/p>\n

Mixue's 1,304 Stores \u2014 The Reality of the Chinese F&B Invasion of Vietnam<\/h2>\n

The brands pushing most aggressively into Vietnam's F&B market are Chinese. Mixue Ice Cream & Tea already operates 1,304 stores across Vietnam, making it the country's largest fresh beverage brand. It is Mixue's second-largest overseas market after Indonesia's 2,667 stores.<\/p>\n

At Mixue Vietnam's franchisee conference held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in November 2025, about 700 prospective franchisees gathered, and 93 new store contracts were signed on the spot. If the word \"invasion\" sounds like an exaggeration, compare it against this figure: Japanese brands have only entered Vietnam with 19 brands in total, nationwide.<\/p>\n

Luckin Coffee is also accelerating its expansion into Southeast Asia, and entry into Vietnam, following Singapore and Malaysia, is becoming a real possibility. What characterizes the Chinese players is a three-part model: low prices, rapid rollout, and a digital-native approach.<\/p>\n

Why Chinese Brands Move Fast in Vietnam \u2014 Three Structural Advantages<\/h2>\n

A view often heard from people at Japanese companies is that \"Chinese brands are low quality, so even if they sell well in the short term, they won't last.\" But I think this optimism is dangerous. The advantage of Chinese brands is not built on low quality \u2014 it rests on structural strength.<\/p>\n

1. Cost Advantage<\/strong>: A single Mixue ice cream cone costs about VND 10 thousand (about 60 yen), less than one-tenth of an equivalent item at Starbucks. This price is not a case of \"cheap and low quality\" \u2014 it is achieved through low-cost raw material sourcing from China and an automated operating system. Vietnam's Gen Z (about 34% of the total population) is highly price-sensitive, and their loyalty to brands that are \"tasty and cheap\" is stronger than one might expect.<\/p>\n

2. Speed of Digital Adoption<\/strong>: Chinese brands are native users of platforms such as TikTok and Zalo. Having come through fierce competition at home, they have accumulated overwhelming know-how in digital marketing and live commerce. as detailed in Vietnam's TikTok usage<\/a>, in today's Vietnamese market, a brand that doesn't go viral on TikTok is close to \"invisible.\"<\/p>\n

3. Flexibility in Franchise Expansion<\/strong>: Chinese brands are proactive about delegating authority to local owners, keeping decision cycles short. Local partners can act without going through fine-grained approvals from headquarters. It is not unusual for these brands to expand to tens or hundreds of stores within one to two years of entering the Vietnamese market.<\/p>\n

JETRO's Warning \u2014 30.8% of Japanese Companies Say \"Chinese Companies Are a Major Competitor\"<\/h2>\n

In a 2025 survey of Japanese companies operating in Vietnam, JETRO found that 30.8% cited \"Chinese companies as a major competitor\" \u2014 a sharp rise from 24.6% the previous year. This figure covers all industries, but in the F&B sector, which consumers encounter every day, the impact is even more direct.<\/p>\n

The same survey also found that 48.2% of companies said \"hiring has become difficult,\" citing competition for talent with Chinese companies as a main cause. Chinese companies offer competitive salaries to local talent and are actively hiring staff fluent in Vietnamese, English, and Chinese.<\/p>\n

This is not limited to the F&B market, but for F&B companies it means competition with Chinese companies has begun on two fronts at once: market share and talent acquisition.<\/p>\n

The Current State of Japanese F&B Brands \u2014 A Limited Presence<\/h2>\n

Only about 19 Japanese franchise brands currently operate in Vietnam's F&B market. Chateraise (sweets) and Hachiban Ramen are among the leading names. In 2025, Nisshin Seifun Welna (part of the Nisshin Seifun Group) expanded its products into 2,500 stores, and its presence in the ingredients and raw materials space is steadily growing.<\/p>\n

Overall, though, when looking at franchise and restaurant chains as the axis, Japanese brands' share of the Vietnamese market is small compared with Singaporean (about 27% of the market), South Korean, and Chinese brands.<\/p>\n

Why has Japanese expansion lagged? The reason is that \"commitment to quality,\" which looks like a virtue on the surface, comes as a trade-off against speed, cost, and flexibility.<\/p>\n

Trying Too Hard to Protect the Brand's \"Soul\"<\/strong>: Japanese restaurant and food companies tend strongly to align quality standards, operations, and taste recipes with home-country benchmarks. They are cautious about delegating authority to franchise partners, which significantly slows down the pace of expansion. While a Chinese brand builds 300 stores in two years, a Japanese brand may take five years to reach 30.<\/p>\n

Pricing That Is Out of Step With Consumers<\/strong>: as detailed in Vietnam's Gen Z strategy<\/a>, pushing the logic that \"Japanese quality equals high price,\" without understanding young consumers' purchasing power and values, risks losing the target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n

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