WinMart+ opens its 5,000th store

A representative of the unit said that this milestone brings the system closer to the goal of nearly 6,000 points of sale by the end of the year. WinCommerce’s report shows that rural areas are becoming the main growth driver for this retailer. In the first 5 months of this year, the business opened a net of 464 new stores, of which about 81% were rural WinMart+ stores.

The business added that if at the end of 2019 the new system had about 2,500 points of sale, then after nearly 7 years, the scale has doubled. However, what is more remarkable is not the number of stores, but the fact that this network is gradually forming a modern retail infrastructure with wide coverage throughout the country. Currently, WinMart, WinMart+ and WiN systems are present in about 1,300 communes and wards nationwide. However, nearly 60% of communes and wards still do not have the presence of WinMart+, showing that there is still great room for development.

According to business representatives, the newly opened store marks a milestone in growth in scale, showing that modern retail is moving from large urban areas to previously underserved areas. About a decade ago, most modern retail systems were concentrated in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and large urban areas, but today WinMart+’s development map has expanded strongly to non-urban areas.

Localities in highland, remote and remote areas gradually have access to products with clear origins, transparent prices and modern shopping experiences. Each new store is a place to provide essential goods, also contributing to promoting goods circulation, creating local jobs and shortening the access gap between rural consumers and the modern retail ecosystem.

Ms. Phuong Nguyen, General Director of WinCommerce, said that the business’s goal is not simply to open more stores, but to contribute to modernizing the national retail infrastructure, bringing service standards and product quality closer to every Vietnamese family. This orientation is consistent with the Government’s strategy on developing the retail market until 2030, with a vision to 2050, which prioritizes the development of rural, mountainous and remote areas.

A representative of the unit said that this trend shows a shift in the focus of modern retail from developed markets to areas with much room for growth. According to WinCommerce leaders, there are two main reasons promoting this strategy, first, rural areas are a large-scale market but the penetration level of modern retail is still low. Second, businesses build an effective operating model to be able to expand their scale in areas previously considered difficult to exploit.

Unlike the early stages of development, WinCommerce now operates models specifically designed for each region. In urban areas, stores focus on fresh products and daily consumer needs. Meanwhile, in rural areas, the system prioritizes products that are lacking in the local market, supplementing instead of directly competing with indigenous products.

Thanks to this approach, new stores achieve positive business results right from the first years of operation. According to the business, about 90% of newly opened stores make a profit in the first year of operation. The rate of canceled goods at rural stores remains around 8%, showing effective merchandise management and operations.

Behind the speed of network expansion is a years-long restructuring process. In just 5 years, WinCommerce has moved from a loss of nearly 4,000 billion VND in 2020 to recording nearly 500 billion VND in profit in 2025 and aims to exceed the 1,000 billion VND mark in 2026.

According to the business, the core factor lies in finding an effective business model for both urban and rural areas. Investment and operating costs per store have decreased by about 30% compared to the pre-restructuring period. More than 60% of goods are circulated through the distribution center system, helping to reduce logistics costs and increase the availability rate of goods to about 90%. At the same time, the application of technology in inventory management, order automation and product portfolio optimization helps improve capital efficiency and improve profits at each store.

Business results in the first 5 months of 2026 show that this strategy is effective. Net revenue reached nearly 18,911 billion VND, up 28.7% over the same period last year, far exceeding the growth plan of 15-21% for the whole year.

WinCommerce representative emphasized that the milestone of 5,000 stores is not a destination. In the context of modern retail, which only accounts for about 14% of Vietnam’s total retail market, businesses believe that the journey ahead is still very long. If the past 5 years were a period of finding and perfecting an effective operating model, the next phase will be a story of expanding scale on a profit basis. With the goal of reaching about 13,000 stores by 2030, the company adheres to the motto: modernizing Vietnam’s retail infrastructure, bringing a modern lifestyle to every family across the country.