AEON Vietnam: “We link our growth to Vietnam’s development”

What do you think of the Vietnamese retail market and the local business environment?

Japanese companies consider Vietnam a potential market, especially in the retail field. Being directly proportional to the growth of the economy, the purchasing capacity of Vietnamese consumers has increased considerably, raising their demand for high quality products and services.

We would like to express our thanks to Ho Chi Minh City for their support. AEON Vietnam officially commenced its operations in October 2011 and has opened four shopping centers: AEON Mall Tan Phu Celadon, AEON Mall Binh Duong Canary, AEON Mall Long Bien and AEON Mall Binh Tan. Under its plan to promote long-term investment in Vietnam, AEON will open new shopping centers in Ho Chi Minh City to contribute to urban and community development. AEON will also open electronic shops, convenience stores and supermarkets. Highlighting the slogan “Everything we do is for customers”, AEON Vietnam has attracted the attention and support of consumers, as well as the state. This is a source of encouragement and a motivating force for us to make further efforts to offer our customers great shopping experiences and contribute significantly to the Vietnamese economy, the local community and entire society.

The explosion of new shopping centers in major Vietnamese cities has made competition in the retail market increasingly fierce. What will AEON Vietnam do to retain existing customers and attract new ones?

AEON is a major Japanese retail group with more than 250 years of development. We would like to thank our local customers and listen to their opinions. With our potential and experience, we will create comfortable and interesting shopping addresses, pursuing the goal of bringing perfection to customers’ lives by providing facilities, goods and services meeting their needs. We are also committed to contributing to Vietnam’s society by helping to make lives better.

In the context of the improving quality of life, Vietnamese people tend to look for high-quality products and services. To retain customers, AEON Vietnam focuses its attention on customers and is always willing to listen to their opinions in order to understand their demands.

Customer opinions enable us to take the initiative in surmounting our weaknesses and bringing into play our advantages to make improvements and provide customers with perfect service.

Could you share AEON Vietnam’s investment expansion plan, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, a driving force of the Vietnamese economy?

We are grateful to Ho Chi Minh City, particularly Tan Phu District, as well as local residents, for their active support to help us expand our first shopping center - AEON Mall Tan Phu Celadon. After it is expanded, this will be an outstanding shopping center wining consumer trust by the quality of products and services.

Following its expansion, AEON Mall Tan Phu Celadon will consist of entertainment facilities (indoor facilities to provide entertainment and relaxation space for families, and sports facilities); a Fashion Avenue (offering a look at global fashion trends and suggesting clothing options for daily use); a Beauty Garden (enabling customers to discover the diversity of beauty services), and restaurants. Notably, General Merchandise Stores (GMS) will be available on all the three floors of the mall to serve all types of customers.

Could you share your views on the cooperative and friendly relations between Vietnam and Japan, from the viewpoint of a major foreign company in Vietnam?

Over the past 43 years since Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic ties in 1973, bilateral relations have been strengthened and developed, especially since March 2014 when the two countries upgraded their relations to a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.

By the end of 2017, Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam totaled US$9.11 billion, accounting for 25.4 percent of all FDI in the country. Japan is the largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam and tops the list of Vietnam’s tourism and trade partners. Vietnam and Japan are boosting sustainable economic cooperation by promoting trade, investment, manufacturing capacity and human resources for mutual benefits.

Vietnam and Japan have maintained tight cooperation at multilateral forums to cope with new threats and challenges and contribute to international peace and security. We would like to thank Vietnamese state authorities, as well as the Vietnamese people and our local customers, for their great support. We pledge to further contribute to Vietnam’s society by maintaining our tight coordination with state authorities and consumers to promote cooperation for mutual development and growth.

Along with successful operations in the retail market, AEON Vietnam is also known for its community activities. Could you share the company’s activities in this field, as well as its specific programs to improve the quality of life for Vietnamese people?

AEON not only concentrates on business activities but also pays attention to the quality of the surrounding habitat and wishes to bring sustainable development values to the community, looking towards upgrading life in each place where it is present. Each year, AEON implements meaningful programs, such as planting forest trees in Lang Co (Hue) and Ba Vi (Hanoi); building and repairing schools; installing solar panels for schools and granting scholarships for students; and the Asia Youth Leaders program targeted at upper secondary school students in Ho Chi Minh City, creating a playing field for them to join the exchange of international relations.

AEON Vietnam is developing other programs and activities together with local communities in an effort to contribute to ensuring social security and protecting the environment. Deeply aware that community values are the foundation for sustainable growth of each business, we will continue striving to build and connect community and customer values, while at the same time giving priority to fulfilling our corporate social responsibility towards a better future for Vietnam.