10 Online Shopping Trends in Vietnam in 2023

Since the pandemic, Vietnam has gone through significant changes, not only in how people shop but also in how businesses reach their users. One of the most notable shifts is the strong growth of online shopping, and this trend is likely to become even more widespread in the years ahead.

Online shopping has become a popular choice among Vietnamese consumers thanks to the many benefits it offers. Customers can shop comfortably from home without having to visit a store, saving both time and effort.

To take advantage of the growing online shopping trend, businesses need to learn about and adopt the latest e-commerce trends. It is essential to improve SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to become easier to find and to attract more customers. By optimizing website content, using the right keywords, and building quality links, businesses can stand out on search engines and attract a significant number of online customers.

The State of Online Shopping in Vietnam

Most Users Pay Online

Online shopping in Vietnam is becoming more convenient than buying in person. Although stores are encouraging contactless payments such as e-wallets, credit cards, or debit cards, users still prefer to shop online because they can receive their orders at the delivery address of their choice, which saves them time and effort. Today, e-wallets are the most popular payment method and are forecast to replace credit cards in the future. Online payments are expected to continue driving the growth of e-commerce in Vietnam.

The Growth of Mobile Shopping

Mobile devices are lighter and easier to carry than laptops. As a result, in 2022 Vietnam had around 62.8 million smartphone users, up 3.6% from the previous year and accounting for 96% of internet users nationwide.

In 2026, the number of smartphone users in Vietnam is estimated to reach 67.3 million, growing 1.7% from the year before and making up about 96.9% of internet users. The growth in mobile internet users affects mobile online shopping revenue in Vietnam.

That means more online shoppers will buy products from their phones and other mobile devices. To serve them, you need to optimize the design of your e-commerce website and make sure it works well on mobile devices.

10 Online Shopping Trends in Vietnam in 2023

Local Brands Keep Growing

Shopping online is convenient and often cheaper. Recently, local brands in the fashion industry have become more popular, with many shoppers looking for high-quality products made and distributed by Vietnamese businesses.

It is not just locals but also tourists who are interested in these local brands. With lower prices, their target customers will consider buying online or in person after learning about their products or services on e-commerce websites.

If you are a local brand and want to increase your leads both online and in person, it is crucial to optimize your e-commerce website to improve local SEO in Vietnam. Signing up for a local SEO service is a smart move in 2023.

The Rise of Voice Search

Whether it’s Apple or Samsung, most smartphones today come with voice search built in. People often use it to look for products they want to buy without typing a search by hand. Instead, they simply activate a virtual assistant on their phone, such as Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, to search for them.

To make sure your customers can find your products or services, optimize your e-commerce website design for mobile voice search results. Make sure your site includes your office address, contact information, and business hours to increase your chances of appearing on search engine results pages. In addition, apply SEO best practices to your content to optimize it for voice search. Using an SEO service in Vietnam can help you a great deal with this.

The Popularity of Video Marketing

Quality video ads have always been an important element of digital marketing. According to Wyzowl’s “Video Marketing Statistics 2023” study, the average user spends 17 hours a week watching video. It therefore makes sense to launch an effective video marketing campaign.

Use video marketing to advertise on e-commerce platforms, because ads or interactive videos are the best way to showcase products online. Keep in mind that high-quality images alone are not enough to convince customers that your product is worth buying. In that case, you can create interactive videos that let customers learn more about your product. In the same Wyzowl study, 96% of users said they want to watch video content to better understand businesses’ products and services.

The Rise of AR Technology

If you want your customers to see your products at their best, try implementing augmented reality (AR). AR is becoming more popular, and many brands are showcasing their products with it.

For example, IKEA uses AR in its app to let customers see how their favorite furniture pieces will look in their own homes. You simply open the app, point your camera in any direction, and tap a product you like to visualize how it looks, how big it is, and what shape it takes when viewed in person. You can do the same for your own products by using AR for your business.

Social Media Shopping Is Growing

E-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and Tiki are the most popular online shopping platforms. In addition, Facebook and Instagram are stepping up the integration of features and tools to create a convenient shopping experience on their platforms. For example, businesses can set up online stores on Facebook and Instagram, making it easy for customers to discover products, view detailed information, and make purchases directly. This creates a new and convenient online sales channel for both sellers and buyers.

Social networks such as Facebook and Instagram have their own online shopping platforms. Many businesses are trying to use these two platforms to attract customers to buy from them right on social media. Users can read reviews, comments, and real photos from other users before deciding to buy a product. This builds trust and motivation among shoppers while also increasing user engagement on social media platforms.

A Commitment to Environmental Protection

Beyond committing to environmental protection, brands are also developing campaigns to raise awareness and change consumer behavior. For example, they may encourage the reuse and recycling of products, reduce the use of plastic and unnecessary waste, and explore new technologies to create eco-friendly products.

In addition, brands are promoting business models that are responsible toward society and the environment. They may take part in charitable activities, sponsor environmental projects, and create job opportunities and sustainable development for the community.

This marks a shift in consumer awareness and mindset, with a growing number of younger consumers prioritizing environmental and social values when they shop. They support and choose brands that deliver on their environmental commitments and have a positive impact on society.

In the future, consumers are expected to embrace more sustainable shopping and support environmentally committed brands, which will also accelerate environmental change and progress across the commercial sector.

The Influence of Celebrities

Marketing through influencers became an important trend in the Vietnamese market over the past year, and its importance has not faded. In fact, it has become even more important than before, especially with the continued growth of short-form video on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

However, while in past years influencers with millions of followers were the best choice, 2023 is about investing in influencers with between 1,000 and 1,000,000 followers or subscribers, who deliver stable and even better conversion rates.

More Payment Options

Over the past five years, the world has witnessed the growth of cashless payments in Vietnam’s e-commerce industry. Options include credit and debit cards, online banking, and e-wallets such as PayPal.

The bigger an online marketplace gets, the more likely it is to offer its own in-house payment method, such as Shopee Pay. In 2023, however, new payment methods will emerge. Buy Now, Pay Later programs let users get the goods they want today and pay for them later.

Besides Buy Now, Pay Later, there is also the concept of installment payments, in which consumers can split the purchase amount into smaller installments over a set period of time.

Payment with cryptocurrency is slowly gaining attention in e-commerce worldwide, but it is not yet widely used in Vietnam.

One of the new trends is “Pay with Rewards.” Under this model, consumers can use reward points, vouchers, or special offers to pay for online purchases. This helps customers take advantage of incentives and save money when shopping online.

Livestream Shopping

Video marketing has truly been a game changer in the Vietnamese market, but 2023 will take it to a new level with online shopping through livestreams. Livestreaming is the real-time, live broadcast of video from brands to viewers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Besides promoting products and answering consumers’ questions, brands use livestreams to close sales. Surprisingly, livestream shopping attracts more older audiences than tech-savvy young people. According to a report from Klarna, 28% of Baby Boomers and 27% of Gen X may have taken part in livestream shopping events. By comparison, the figures for Millennials and Gen Z are 23% and 20%.

Chatbots – A Useful Tool for Online Shopping

Online shopping websites are no strangers to chatbots. In e-commerce, chatbots are automated chat tools that provide customer support 24/7. They handle basic, trivial tasks that are often seen as a nuisance, such as answering customers’ frequently asked questions.

Chatbots answer customers’ frequently asked questions with preset responses, without any human intervention. Chatbots have been shown to improve the customer experience and increase website conversion rates by up to 90%.

So, in addition to implementing SEO services, you can ask a digital marketing company and an e-commerce SEO service to help you set up an effective chatbot.

Conclusion

These are just some of the predicted new online shopping trends that you may want to consider for your e-commerce business and for improving your SEO in Vietnam! If you need help creating effective e-commerce SEO strategies, contact agencies right away.