Sau hơn 1 tháng thực hiện, chiến dịch Tết 2026 với thông điệp “Cầu Gì Hơn Phút Giây Này Bên Nhau” do Nestlé Việt Nam triển khai ghi nhận sự hưởng ứng của hơn 350.000 người, cùng lan tỏa thông điệp trân quý từng khoảnh khắc sum vầy – điều tưởng như giản đơn nhưng ngày càng trở nên quý giá giữa nhịp sống hiện đại nhộn nhịp.
Thay vì kể câu chuyện Tết bằng những ước vọng xa xôi, Nestlé chọn cách tiếp cận gần gũi: Tết được tạo nên từ chính những khoảnh khắc đang diễn ra. Ý tưởng “Lịch Tết Hôm Nay” – cuốn lịch chỉ có một ngày duy nhất là ngày hôm nay – đã nhanh chóng tạo nên làn sóng thảo luận tích cực trên mạng xã hội, trở thành không gian để các gia đình gửi gắm cho nhau những lời chúc giản dị nhưng đầy ý nghĩa.
Trong khuôn khổ chiến dịch, cuộc thi ảnh “Wishlist Ngay Lúc Này – Cầu Gì Hơn Phút Giây Này Bên Nhau”, phối hợp cùng Kênh14 và aFamily, đã thu hút hàng nghìn bài dự thi. Những khoảnh khắc rất đỗi đời thường như một bữa cơm sum họp, một cuộc gặp gỡ đầu năm, hay chỉ là sự hiện diện của người thân quen được chia sẻ và tạo nên hàng trăm nghìn lượt thảo luận trên mạng xã hội.
Người tiêu dùng trải nghiệm hoạt động “Lịch Tết Hôm Nay” và nhận được nhiều phần quà hấp dẫn từ Nestlé Việt Nam.
“Hạnh phúc đơn giản là cùng gia đình sum họp, vây quần bên nhau. Chẳng mong cầu gì cao sang, chỉ mong cả nhà an yên”, bạn Trần Thị Kim Yến chia sẻ. Với nhiều người trẻ, điều quý giá nhất của Tết không nằm ở điểm đến, mà ở việc bên cạnh người thân yêu trong khoảnh khắc ấy.
Những câu chuyện này phản ánh rõ nét sự thay đổi trong cách thế hệ trẻ nhìn về Tết – nơi giá trị cốt lõi vẫn là sự gắn kết, dù hình thức thể hiện ngày càng linh hoạt và đa dạng hơn.
Các sản phẩm của Nestlé đã trở thành một phần không thể thiếu trong văn hóa ẩm thực ngày Tết Việt.
Góp phần lan tỏa tinh thần đó, bộ phim ngắn của Nestlé Việt Nam tái hiện nhịp sống thường nhật của các gia đình trong những ngày cận Tết đã thu hút hơn 126 triệu lượt xem trên các nền tảng số. Không kịch tính hay cao trào, bộ phim chọn cách kể nhẹ nhàng để nhấn mạnh một thông điệp xuyên suốt: không có mong cầu nào lớn hơn việc được ở bên nhau, trọn vẹn trong từng khoảnh khắc hiện tại.
Không chỉ dừng lại ở nền tảng số, người tiêu dùng còn có thể trực tiếp trải nghiệm tinh thần Tết này tại gian hàng Nestlé ở hệ thống Big C và Co.opmart, nơi các hoạt động tương tác và thiết kế mang đậm sắc xuân truyền thống được triển khai đến hết ngày 13/02/2026.
Người tiêu dùng trải nghiệm các hoạt động thú vị tại gian hàng của Nestlé.
Sau 30 năm hiện diện tại Việt Nam, các sản phẩm quen thuộc của Nestlé như MAGGI, MILO, NESCAFÉ, KITKAT, NESTEA, La Vie… đã trở thành một phần trong văn hóa ẩm thực ngày Tết của nhiều gia đình. Thông qua chiến dịch Tết 2026, Nestlé không chỉ kể câu chuyện thương hiệu, mà còn khẳng định vai trò của doanh nghiệp trong việc đồng hành cùng người tiêu dùng gìn giữ những giá trị Tết bền bỉ – nơi sự sum vầy, sẻ chia và hiện diện bên nhau vẫn luôn là điều được trân quý nhất.
Chuỗi hoạt động cộng đồng trong chiến dịch “Chung Vị Tết Việt, Gắn Kết Muôn Miền” do Tổng Công ty Cổ phần Bia – Rượu – Nước giải khát Sài Gòn (SABECO) khởi xướng, với sự đồng hành và phối hợp cùng Ủy ban Trung ương Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam (UB TW MTTQVN), đã thành công lan tỏa không khí Tết gắn kết đến người dân tại 17 tỉnh thành trên cả nước, mang đến những khoảnh khắc đón Tết ấm áp, sẻ chia và đậm đà bản sắc văn hóa Việt.
Mang thông điệp “Chung Vị Tết Việt – Gắn Kết Muôn Miền”, chiến dịch được SABECO triển khai với mong muốn gìn giữ những giá trị văn hóa truyền thống của Tết cổ truyền, đồng thời kết nối những sắc thái văn hóa đặc trưng của từng vùng miền thành một trải nghiệm Tết chung, nơi mỗi người dân đều có thể cảm nhận được sự gắn bó, thuộc về và niềm vui sum vầy. Đây cũng là năm đầu tiên SABECO phát triển chương trình Tết thường niên thành nền tảng tôn vinh sự đa dạng văn hóa vùng miền Việt Nam, thể hiện vai trò của doanh nghiệp trong việc bảo tồn bản sắc văn hóa truyền thống, gắn kết cộng đồng và lan tỏa niềm tự hào dân tộc.
Sau hơn một tháng triển khai, chiến dịch đã tổ chức 03 sự kiện cộng đồng quy mô lớn với những không gian Tết mở, thu hút hàng chục nghìn người dân cùng gặp gỡ, trải nghiệm văn hóa và hòa mình vào không khí Tết chung. Song song đó, SABECO cùng UB TW MTTQVN đã phối hợp trao tặng 6.700 phần quà mang thông điệp “Chung Vị Tết Việt” đến bộ đội biên phòng và người dân có hoàn cảnh khó khăn tại các địa phương, góp phần mang đến một mùa Tết trọn vẹn và ấm áp hơn cho lực lượng tuyến đầu và những gia đình chưa có điều kiện đón Tết đủ đầy.
Quan trọng hơn cả những con số, chiến dịch đã chạm đến cảm xúc của cộng đồng địa phương khắp ba miền Bắc – Trung – Nam khi mỗi hoạt động, mỗi không gian Tết được tái hiện đều phản ánh nét văn hóa đặc trưng của từng vùng đất. Từ đó, giúp người dân thêm tự hào về bản sắc quê hương, đồng thời cảm nhận rõ hơn sự kết nối bền chặt giữa các vùng miền trên dải đất hình chữ S trong dịp Tết đến xuân về.
Ông Lester Tan, Tổng Giám đốc SABECO cho biết thành công của chiến dịch “Chung Vị Tết Việt – Gắn Kết Muôn Miền” không chỉ được đo bằng quy mô hay số lượng, mà còn ở những cảm xúc đặc biệt đến từ niềm vui, sự đoàn kết sẻ chia, và niềm tự hào dân tộc mà SABECO đã góp phần lan tỏa đến cộng đồng trên khắp cả nước.
“Suốt 150 năm qua, SABECO đã đồng hành cùng người dân Việt Nam trên khắp mọi miền đất nước vào mỗi dịp Tết đến, và chúng tôi cam kết sẽ tiếp tục đóng góp cho xã hội bằng những chương trình ý nghĩa và thiết thực, để tất cả mọi người có thể gắn kết và vươn cao cùng nhau,” ông Lester chia sẻ.
Bốn điểm cuối cùng trên hành trình ý nghĩa của chiến dịch “Chung Vị Tết Việt – Gắn Kết Muôn Miền” sẽ diễn ra vào ngày 8/2 tại Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Lào Cai và Tuyên Quang, khép lại chặng đường lan tỏa tinh thần Tết gắn kết đến với lực lượng tuyến đầu và người dân địa phương trong dịp năm mới. Bên cạnh đó, hoạt động gắn kết cộng đồng #ChungViTetViet trên các nền tảng mạng xã hội vẫn sẽ tiếp tục diễn ra đến hết ngày 25/2/2026, để mọi người có cơ hội chia sẻ những khoảnh khắc giản dị nhưng giàu cảm xúc trong thời khắc đón chào Tết nguyên đán Bính Ngọ 2026. Những câu chuyện và hình ảnh đón Tết được người dân mọi miền chia sẻ sẽ góp phần tạo nên một “bức tranh Tết Việt” đa sắc, nơi sự khác biệt vùng miền được tôn vinh trong một niềm vui chung.
Các hoạt động của chiến dịch không chỉ tạo cầu nối gắn kết người dân Việt Nam trong dịp Tết, mà còn tiếp tục khẳng định nỗ lực bền bỉ của SABECO trong việc kết nối cộng đồng, lan tỏa giá trị văn hóa và góp phần xây dựng một xã hội gắn kết hơn.
For more than two decades, China sat at the center of global manufacturing. Cost efficiency, scale, and supplier depth made it the default choice for apparel and textile production. Today, that model is under pressure. The shift away from China is no longer driven by cost alone. It is driven by risk.
From pandemic-related shutdowns to geopolitical uncertainty, global manufacturers have learned a hard lesson: supply chains optimized purely for efficiency tend to break when disruption hits. As a result, moving out of China has become a strategic decision rather than a reactive one.
Vietnam has emerged as one of the most credible destinations in this transition. But setting up a manufacturing plant in Vietnam is not a simple relocation exercise. It requires a fundamental rethink of market entry decisions, factory setup, sourcing strategy, and long-term supply chain design.
From Supply Chain Shock to Structural Change
COVID-19 marked a structural break in global supply chains. Factory closures, logistics bottlenecks, and raw material shortages exposed the fragility of highly concentrated manufacturing models that had been optimized for cost and speed, but not resilience.
Manufacturers heavily dependent on a single country, particularly China, experienced cascading delays that disrupted retail calendars, inventory planning, and customer commitments. In contrast, companies with diversified production footprints were able to reallocate capacity and recover faster.
The conclusion across the industry has been consistent: diversification is no longer a hedge. It is a requirement. This realization accelerated the adoption of the China+1 strategy, in which manufacturers retain production in China while actively developing alternative manufacturing bases in Southeast Asia. Among these alternatives, Vietnam has emerged as a preferred destination due to its balance of scale, infrastructure readiness, and industrial maturity.
A recent Vietnam factory tour offers a practical reference point for how international manufacturers are setting up textile production plants navigating this shift.
Vietnam’s Role in the Global Manufacturing Shift
Vietnam’s growing role in global manufacturing is supported by more than shifting supply chain strategies. It is underpinned by a stable political environment, consistent pro-investment policies, and deep integration into global trade networks.
In 2025, total registered foreign direct investment reached approximately USD 38.4 billion, while record disbursement levels confirmed that investors are not only committing capital but actively executing projects on the ground. This momentum is expected to strengthen further in 2026 as manufacturers expand capacity beyond initial pilot operations.
Vietnam also stands out as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies. In 2025, GDP growth reached around 8.0%, with total trade turnover approaching USD 930 billion and overall GDP exceeding USD 514 billion. Economic growth is projected to remain strong into 2026, with upside potential nearing double-digit levels, reinforcing confidence in long-term manufacturing investment.
Within the China Plus One landscape, Vietnam has positioned itself as a leading alternative manufacturing hub. Competitive labor costs, a scalable industrial base, and a steadily improving skilled workforce continue to attract production shifts from China. In 2025 alone, disbursed FDI reached USD 27.62 billion, up approximately 9% year-on-year and the highest level in five years, directly supporting supply chain diversification strategies that will extend into 2026 and beyond.
Together, these factors explain why Vietnam is no longer viewed as a backup option, but increasingly as a core manufacturing destination in global supply chain redesign.
Setting Up a Manufacturing Plant in Vietnam: Strategic Decisions That Matter
Setting up a manufacturing plant in Vietnam begins long before machinery is installed or production lines are activated. The most critical decisions are made at the market entry stage, where early missteps can be costly and difficult to reverse.
Industrial parks and clusters for setting up a factory in Vietnam
Location selection remains a defining factor across industries:
Northern Vietnam is closely integrated with China and has developed strong capabilities in electronics, industrial components, and supporting industries, making it attractive for manufacturers prioritizing supply chain connectivity and speed.
Central Vietnam offers emerging industrial zones with improving infrastructure and lower land and labor pressure, suitable for manufacturers seeking long-term expansion and cost balance rather than immediate scale.
Southern Vietnam remains the most established manufacturing hub, with dense industrial clusters, port access, and experienced labor pools, supporting export-oriented production across multiple industries.
Equally important is the choice of investment structure. Manufacturers must determine whether to establish a wholly foreign-owned entity, enter a joint venture, or begin with contract manufacturing before committing to full-scale investment. Each model involves trade-offs in terms of speed to market, operational control, regulatory exposure, and capital commitment, and the optimal structure often depends on the complexity of the product and the maturity of the local supply base.
Timeline expectations must also be grounded in reality. From initial approval to stable production, setting up a manufacturing operation in Vietnam typically takes several months and can extend to a year or more, depending on project scale, compliance requirements, localization of the supply chain, and the level of technical complexity involved.
Vietnam’s manufacturing appeal is often framed around cost advantages, but in practice, cost is only part of the equation. The country’s growing role in global supply chains is better understood through its operational trade-offs rather than as a universal upgrade from existing manufacturing bases.
Sustained foreign investment has improved manufacturing standards across several sectors, particularly where production processes are moderately complex and highly repeatable. Many factories in Vietnam are now familiar with international compliance requirements, quality management systems, and audit procedures. However, the level of maturity still varies significantly by industry, region, and factory ownership structure.
Vietnam has developed a stronger pool of local managers and technical staff, especially in operations that have been present for multiple production cycles. This has reduced dependence on expatriate oversight in some cases, but execution quality remains uneven and often requires close buyer involvement, particularly during ramp-up phases or product transitions.
For international manufacturers, Vietnam offers production environments that can meet global requirements in areas such as traceability and consistency, but not without active governance. Process discipline, supplier development, and risk management typically demand more hands-on engagement compared to long-established manufacturing bases. In this sense, Vietnam’s advantage lies less in being a “plug-and-play” solution and more in its capacity to evolve with the right operational investment.
Guillaume Rondan, CEO of MoveToAsia : leading market entry and sourcing company in Vietnam
If Vietnam’s manufacturing advantage is not a plug-and-play solution, then local sourcing is where that reality becomes most visible.
As manufacturers move production out of China, reducing dependence on Chinese raw materials proves to be just as challenging, and just as important, as relocating assembly capacity. Vietnam has made tangible progress in this area, but the transition is gradual rather than immediate.
In several industries, including textiles, industrial components, and consumer goods, Vietnam’s supplier base increasingly supports local and regional sourcing of key inputs. This shift has practical implications for certificates of origin, trade agreement eligibility, and tariff exposure, particularly for manufacturers serving European and US markets.
Beyond compliance considerations, local sourcing improves lead-time control and production visibility. However, supplier qualification and material consistency often require deliberate development efforts. The resilience benefits only materialize when manufacturers actively invest in supplier onboarding, testing, and dual-sourcing strategies, rather than assuming local availability alone will reduce risk.
Factory Audits and Compliance as Operational Filters
Factory audits function less as formal checkpoints and more as operational filters in Vietnam market entry.
For global manufacturers and brands, audits determine not only whether a factory meets baseline compliance requirements, but whether it is capable of scaling, sustaining quality, and managing risk over time. Manufacturers entering Vietnam typically pass through multiple audit stages, from initial capability assessments to compliance verification and follow-up evaluations before volume transfer.
Audit outcomes frequently outweigh cost or capacity considerations. Factories that fail to demonstrate process discipline or management readiness are often excluded, regardless of pricing advantages. As a result, audit readiness has become a defining factor in supplier selection.
Vietnam’s growing familiarity with international audit frameworks reflects years of exposure to global buyers. However, audit performance still varies widely by factory, reinforcing the need for buyers to treat compliance as an ongoing governance process rather than a one-time qualification exercise.
Why Global Brands Continue to Expand Manufacturing in Vietnam
Despite these constraints, global brands continue to expand manufacturing operations in Vietnam, not because the environment is frictionless, but because it offers a workable balance between scalability and risk management.
Factories serving international buyers are expected to demonstrate transparency across the supply chain, stable quality systems, and management teams capable of operating under global compliance standards. In practice, this often requires closer buyer engagement during ramp-up phases and tighter coordination across sourcing, quality, and operations.
Foreign investment continues to flow into Vietnam’s manufacturing sector because the country offers relative political stability, a growing industrial base, and alignment with long-term supply chain diversification strategies. These factors do not eliminate operational challenges, but they provide a foundation upon which manufacturers can build resilient production networks.
This evolution is increasingly visible at industry events such as VIATT 2026 (26–28 February), where international buyers gain direct exposure to Vietnam-based manufacturers that have already adapted to global brand requirements. Beyond product showcases, such this event allow buyers to assess how factories operate in practice, from quality systems and compliance readiness to management depth, supporting more informed, long-term sourcing decisions.
VIATT forums connect buyers and manufacturers through practical sourcing discussions.
Moving Out of China Is a Supply Chain Redesign
Moving manufacturing out of China is not about replacing one country with another. It is about redesigning supply chains to function under uncertainty.
Manufacturers that succeed in Vietnam tend to approach factory setup as a long-term operational commitment rather than a short-term workaround. They invest in local sourcing development, apply rigorous supplier qualification, and design supply chains capable of absorbing disruption rather than collapsing under it.
Vietnam is therefore best understood not as an alternative manufacturing destination, but as an increasingly important pillar within a broader, diversified supply chain strategy.
Vietnam’s Côn Đảo archipelago has been named among the world’s top 15 honeymoon destinations by global fashion and lifestyle authority Vogue, placing the once-remote island alongside iconic romantic escapes such as Italy’s Tuscany, France’s French Riviera, New Zealand, and Greece’s famed island retreats.
The recognition marks a significant milestone for Vietnam’s high-end tourism sector, positioning Côn Đảo as one of Southeast Asia’s emerging luxury travel destinations. According to Vogue, the island stands out for couples seeking privacy, unspoiled natural beauty, and a slower, more intimate travel experience — increasingly valuable traits in the global honeymoon market.
A Sanctuary for Couples Seeking Privacy and Nature
Unlike bustling regional tourism hubs such as Phuket or Bali, Côn Đảo attracts visitors with its tranquil atmosphere and largely untouched environment. The archipelago is home to protected primary forests, crystal-clear waters, and secluded beaches that remain relatively free from mass tourism.
This island is gradually establishing itself as a high-end resort destination.
Vogue described the island as an ideal retreat for newlyweds looking to “escape the world” after months of wedding planning. Couples visiting Côn Đảo can explore coral reefs, trek through national park trails, watch sunset views across quiet bays, or simply enjoy uninterrupted beach time.
This emphasis on privacy aligns with a broader shift in luxury travel, where high-spending travelers increasingly prioritize exclusivity and meaningful experiences over crowded resort destinations.
Rising Luxury Resort Scene Boosts Global Appeal
Côn Đảo’s growing reputation has also been fueled by its expanding portfolio of high-end resorts designed around privacy and personalized service. Vogue highlighted Six Senses Con Dao as a flagship luxury property in Vietnam, known for its private pool villas, nature-integrated spa facilities, and wellness-focused guest experiences.
Industry analysts note that boutique resort models emphasizing fewer rooms and larger private spaces have become increasingly attractive to affluent global travelers — a trend Côn Đảo is well positioned to capitalize on.
From Historic Landmark to Premium Travel Destination
Historically, Côn Đảo was primarily known for its complex past and spiritual tourism linked to historical prison sites and memorial landmarks. In recent years, however, Vietnam has strategically repositioned the island as a premium eco-luxury destination targeting international visitors, expatriates, and high-spending domestic travelers.
The island’s inclusion in Vogue’s ranking signals growing international recognition and reflects Vietnam’s broader push to diversify its tourism offerings beyond mass-market coastal destinations.
Why Global Travelers Are Paying Attention
For international visitors and investors monitoring Southeast Asia’s tourism trends, Côn Đảo represents a notable shift toward sustainable, experience-driven luxury travel. With strong conservation policies, limited large-scale development, and expanding high-end hospitality infrastructure, the destination is increasingly viewed as one of Vietnam’s most promising long-term tourism assets.
As global honeymoon travel rebounds strongly post-pandemic, Côn Đảo’s blend of exclusivity, natural preservation, and luxury hospitality is helping place Vietnam firmly on the map of elite romantic travel destinations.
Vietnamese authorities have detained a 22-year-old beauty pageant runner-up as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged prostitution brokerage activities, a case that has quickly drawn widespread public and social media attention.
Bùi Thị Phương Linh, who previously placed first runner-up in the 2025 Miss Áo Dài Vietnam pageant, is currently being held by Hanoi police while investigators examine allegations that she acted as an intermediary arranging illegal sex work services.
Rising Public Figure Before Investigation
Phương Linh, originally from Hanoi, gained public recognition after her strong showing at the 2025 beauty contest, where she attracted attention for her appearance and stage presence. However, she remained relatively inactive in the entertainment industry following the competition and maintained a limited online presence. Her personal social media accounts have since been restricted.
Authorities released images showing Linh at an investigative facility following her detention, further fueling public interest in the case.
Allegations of Organized Brokerage
According to Hanoi’s Criminal Police Department, investigators suspect Linh coordinated prostitution services using mobile messaging applications. Authorities allege she sent photos of women involved in sex work to potential clients, negotiated pricing, and arranged meeting locations between clients and individuals providing the services.
Police stated that financial instability and lack of stable employment may have contributed to her alleged involvement, though the investigation remains ongoing and formal legal conclusions have not yet been finalized.
Public Reaction and Wider Industry Questions
The case has sparked strong reactions online, with many Vietnamese social media users expressing disappointment and criticism. Some commentators have also called on pageant organizers to review eligibility standards and post-competition monitoring of titleholders.
The incident has reignited public debate surrounding Vietnam’s rapidly expanding beauty pageant industry, where the increasing number of competitions has raised questions about contestant vetting, career support, and long-term brand management for winners and finalists.
Legal Context in Vietnam
Prostitution itself is illegal in Vietnam, and authorities regularly conduct enforcement campaigns targeting both service providers and brokers. Individuals accused of organizing or facilitating such activities can face serious criminal penalties if convicted.
The investigation into Phương Linh remains active, and police have not yet announced final charges or trial proceedings.
Why the Case Matters Internationally
Vietnam’s beauty pageant sector has grown significantly in recent years, with winners frequently transitioning into entertainment, business, and influencer careers. High-profile legal cases involving public figures can have reputational impacts on both the pageant industry and broader discussions about celebrity culture, employment pressures, and social media influence in emerging markets.
Authorities say further updates will be released as the investigation progresses.
Vietnamese authorities have launched criminal proceedings against a Lexus driver following a tragic traffic accident that resulted in the death of a five-year-old child, highlighting growing concerns about roadside safety and driver awareness across the country.
Nguyễn Hữu Cường, 52, from Hanoi, has been charged with violating road traffic safety regulations after investigators concluded that his actions directly caused the fatal crash. The case, which occurred in Phú Thọ province in northern Vietnam, has drawn attention to a lesser-known but serious traffic hazard known internationally as “dooring” — when a vehicle door is opened into the path of oncoming traffic.
How the Accident Happened
According to police findings, the incident occurred on the morning of January 2 along National Highway 15. Authorities said Cường stopped his Lexus on the roadside in an area clearly marked with no-stopping and no-parking signs to enter a breakfast restaurant.
After his family exited the vehicle, Cường opened the driver’s door without checking for approaching traffic. At that moment, a 28-year-old woman riding a motorbike with her five-year-old child seated behind collided with the suddenly opened door.
The impact caused both riders to fall onto the roadway. Seconds later, another car traveling in the same direction ran over the child, who died at the scene.
A Family Tragedy
Local police described the victim’s family as financially vulnerable, noting that the child was born after years of marriage. The accident has left the family devastated and has sparked emotional reactions across Vietnamese social media.
The motorbike driver survived but suffered injuries, according to initial reports.
Legal and Safety Implications
Investigators determined the Lexus driver violated multiple traffic regulations, including illegally stopping in a restricted area and failing to ensure safe conditions before opening a vehicle door.
Under Vietnamese law, traffic violations resulting in death can lead to criminal prosecution, with potential penalties including imprisonment depending on the severity of the case.
Authorities say the incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks posed by improper roadside stops and inattentive vehicle door opening — a common cause of accidents in many countries with high motorbike usage.
Vietnamese authorities have arrested two suspects linked to an armed bank robbery in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, recovering four firearms and multiple pieces of evidence in a case that briefly rattled public confidence and drew national attention.
The suspects allegedly stole approximately VND 1.8 billion (about US$70,000) during a daylight robbery at a Vietcombank transaction office in Pleiku City on January 19. Within just over two weeks, coordinated police operations across multiple provinces led to their capture, highlighting Vietnam’s rapid-response security network.
A Bold Daylight Robbery
According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, the two men entered Vietcombank’s Trà Bá transaction office disguised as ride-hailing drivers, wearing jackets and blue helmets commonly associated with Grab. The suspects reportedly threatened bank staff with handgun-like weapons before escaping with the cash.
The robbery, which occurred during normal business hours, quickly spread across social media and local news channels, raising concerns among residents and foreign observers about public security in Vietnam’s fast-growing regional cities.
Nationwide Investigation Leads to Arrest
Despite limited early identification details and what authorities described as “sophisticated tactics” used by the suspects to evade law enforcement, police units across several localities coordinated efforts to track them down. Participating forces included criminal police, cybersecurity specialists, forensic experts, and provincial police departments from Gia Lai, Quảng Ngãi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bắc Ninh.
The two suspects are on the run. Photo: Police
By February 5, authorities confirmed both suspects had been arrested. Investigators also recovered four firearms along with other evidence connected to the robbery.
Earlier in the investigation, officers located the suspects’ motorbike buried in a pine forest roughly five kilometers from the crime scene, suggesting a premeditated escape strategy.
Government Commends Security Forces
Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security, General Lương Tam Quang, formally praised the participating units for what he described as an “outstanding achievement.” Officials stated the swift arrests help reinforce crime deterrence and maintain public confidence, particularly during the busy Lunar New Year travel period, when domestic mobility and tourism peak.
Authorities in Gia Lai are now working with prosecutors to finalize evidence and pursue criminal charges against the suspects under Vietnamese law.
What This Means for Investors and Visitors
Vietnam maintains relatively low rates of violent crime compared to many regional markets, and authorities frequently emphasize rapid enforcement responses to serious incidents. The quick resolution of this case underscores the government’s priority on maintaining security in both major economic hubs and emerging provincial cities—an important factor for foreign investors, expatriates, and tourists monitoring safety conditions in the country.
Online casino development in the Philippines has followed a deliberate path shaped by regulation, economic priorities, and cultural familiarity with gaming.
Unlike industries that expanded without clear boundaries, digital gaming in the country evolved through a cycle of experimentation, correction, and institutional oversight.
This process explains why today’s online casino environment looks markedly different from its earlier iterations.
Digital gaming gained momentum in the mid-2010s as internet access improved and mobile adoption accelerated nationwide.
At the same time, the Philippine government maintained an existing legal framework for games of chance, allowing online platforms to operate under defined licenses rather than informal arrangements.
This combination of demand and structure positioned the country as an attractive base for gaming operators seeking legitimacy.
However, early growth also revealed the limits of scale-driven expansion. Offshore-oriented platforms, while economically active, operated at volumes that strained enforcement mechanisms.
As participation increased, so did concerns over financial transparency, consumer protection, and the broader social impact of always-on access to wagering platforms.
Importantly, gaming itself was not new to Filipino society. Community card games, bingo halls, and festival-based betting activities have long existed as recreational outlets.
What changed was accessibility. The shift to digital removed physical barriers, increasing both convenience and risk. These realities pushed regulators to refine, not remove, the industry.
Rather than dismantling online casinos altogether, policymakers opted for recalibration.
The decision to eliminate offshore-focused operations while preserving domestically regulated platforms reframed digital gaming as a controlled form of entertainment aligned with national law.
This approach laid the foundation for a modern online casino ecosystem built on accountability, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
Expansion and Its Limits
The period between 2016 and 2019 marked the fastest growth phase for online casino platforms in the Philippines.
Licensing mechanisms attracted foreign interest, while gaming companies became visible contributors to employment and commercial real estate demand in key urban centers. For a time, the industry’s success was measured largely by scale.
Yet expansion alone proved insufficient as a benchmark for stability. As platforms multiplied, enforcement challenges surfaced, particularly among operators catering to foreign markets.
Investigations into financial irregularities exposed how digital gaming systems could be misused when oversight lagged behind operational growth. These developments gradually shifted public sentiment and prompted closer scrutiny from regulators.
At the same time, social considerations became harder to ignore. Increased digital access amplified exposure risks, raising concerns around excessive play, financial strain, and the need for stronger consumer safeguards.
Advocacy groups and religious organizations called for clearer limits, reinforcing the idea that growth without structure carried long-term consequences.
The government’s decision to shut down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in 2024 reflected this accumulated pressure.
Crucially, the move did not equate online casinos with illegality. Instead, it clarified which models aligned with Philippine law. Offshore-facing platforms were removed, while locally accountable operators remained.
This shift reduced the industry’s size but strengthened its credibility. Compliance, transparency, and player protection moved from optional practices to non-negotiable requirements, reshaping what success in the online casino sector truly meant.
PAGCOR’s Role in Online Casino Legitimacy
The backbone of the Philippine online casino system is the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Established under Presidential Decree No. 1067-A, PAGCOR was designed to centralize authority over games of chance, ensuring that regulation remained a direct state function rather than a delegated responsibility.
PAGCOR’s mandate balances revenue generation with strict supervision. Licensed operators contribute to public funds while remaining subject to continuous oversight, auditing, and reporting.
This structure embeds accountability into daily operations, differentiating regulated platforms from informal or offshore alternatives.
For online casinos, compliance extends beyond licensing. Operators must maintain physical accountability within the Philippines, adhere to national financial regulations, and implement anti-money laundering systems aligned with global standards.
Over time, PAGCOR expanded its framework to include responsible gaming policies, player exclusion mechanisms, and advertising controls.
These requirements are part of how licensed platforms are built and maintained.
Under this model, legitimacy is defined by adherence to rules rather than market reach. A compliant online casino serves domestic players, operates transparently, and aligns with national interests.
This regulatory architecture ensures that digital gaming functions as regulated entertainment, not as an unchecked parallel economy. Trust, within the Philippine system, is earned through governance and consistency.
Domestic Operators and the Post-Reform Industry
Following the removal of offshore gaming operations, the Philippine online casino landscape entered a consolidation phase.
What remained were platforms explicitly designed to operate within PAGCOR’s regulatory boundaries. This shift elevated domestic operators as the standard-bearers of the industry’s future.
DigiPlus exemplifies this regulated model. As a Philippine-based digital entertainment company, it operates multiple PAGCOR-licensed platforms while maintaining physical gaming sites nationwide.
This dual presence satisfies legal requirements and reinforces operational accountability.
Unlike offshore-oriented entities, DigiPlus focuses on Filipino players and locally familiar games. Its digital offerings reflect cultural context while integrating responsible gaming tools that align with regulatory expectations.
As a publicly listed company, DigiPlus is also subject to heightened disclosure, governance, and compliance standards.
Its measurable contributions, ranging from tax revenue and employment to social development initiatives, illustrate how regulated online casinos can function as legitimate economic participants.
These outcomes are the result of operating within the framework that PAGCOR was designed to enforce.
GameZone, within the DigiPlus ecosystem, represents how online casino platforms can modernize without abandoning discipline. It demonstrates that digital gaming does not need to exist at the margins to succeed.
Instead, sustainability is achieved through alignment with law, transparency, and player protection.
How Online Casino Platforms Are Stepping Up
The evolution of the Philippine online casino industry reflects a broader lesson in governance and adaptation. Growth alone did not define success; regulation ultimately shaped sustainability.
By drawing a clear line between offshore operations and domestically accountable platforms, policymakers preserved digital gaming while correcting its vulnerabilities.
Today’s environment is smaller, more structured, and more credible. Online casinos operating under PAGCOR oversight are no longer exceptions within the system but its intended outcome.
Regulation has transformed digital gaming from a volume-driven experiment into a controlled form of entertainment aligned with public interest.
Companies like DigiPlus illustrate how innovation can coexist with accountability. Through transparent operations, cultural relevance, and responsible gaming standards, regulated platforms demonstrate why oversight matters.
The GameZone online casino, in particular, shows that online casinos can evolve responsibly without sacrificing accessibility or player trust.
The Philippine experience underscores a key principle: digital gaming thrives when rules are clear, enforcement is consistent, and operators respect the communities they serve. In this balance, the online casino industry finds not just legality but durability.
FAQs
Q: Is online casino gaming legal in the Philippines? A: Yes, provided the platform operates under PAGCOR licensing and complies with Philippine law.
Q: Why were offshore gaming operators removed? A: Offshore-focused platforms raised regulatory and security concerns that conflicted with domestic oversight.
Q: What makes an online casino legitimate? A: PAGCOR licensing, physical accountability in the Philippines, AML compliance, and responsible gaming systems.
Q: How are players protected under the regulation? A: Through exclusion programs, spending controls, advertising limits, and continuous monitoring.
Q: What role does GameZone play today? A: GameZone represents a locally regulated online casino platform aligned with national standards and player protection.
Three new entrants lift Vietnam’s billionaire count to eight, underscoring rising wealth concentration tied to stocks
Vietnam’s growing integration into global capital markets is producing a familiar byproduct seen across emerging economies: rapid wealth creation tied closely to equity performance. The country has just added three new U.S. dollar billionaires, pushing the total to eight, according to Forbes’ real-time rankings—an update that highlights both Vietnam’s corporate scale-up story and the volatility that comes with market-driven fortunes.
The latest additions come from two of Vietnam’s most influential corporate pillars: Vingroup, the country’s largest private conglomerate, and VPBank, one of its most dynamic private lenders. Newly minted billionaires include Pham Thu Huong and Pham Thuy Hang, both vice chairwomen of Vingroup, alongside Ngo Chi Dung, chairman of VPBank.
Pham Thu Huong, a co-founder of Vingroup and wife of billionaire tycoon Pham Nhat Vuong, now holds an estimated net worth of $2.2 billion. Her wealth is largely derived from more than 341 million shares in Vingroup, equivalent to roughly 4.4% of the company. Her sister-in-law, Pham Thuy Hang, controls nearly 228 million shares, translating into a fortune of about $1.5 billion. Both fortunes reflect Vingroup’s evolution from a domestic real estate player into a regional conglomerate spanning property, retail, manufacturing, and electric vehicles.
The third newcomer, Ngo Chi Dung, enters the list with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion, anchored in his 4.14% stake in VPBank. His rise underscores the growing role of private banks in Vietnam’s financial system, particularly as credit expansion, consumer finance, and capital markets deepen alongside the country’s broader economic growth.
Despite the new entrants, Vietnam’s billionaire rankings also reveal the downside of market-linked wealth. Pham Nhat Vuong remains the country’s richest individual with $21.1 billion, but his net worth has fallen by more than $7 billion since late last year as Vingroup shares retreated. Other prominent names, including VietJet Air founder Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Hoa Phat Group chairman Tran Dinh Long, and Techcombank chairman Ho Hung Anh, all saw their fortunes shrink amid stock price corrections.
One notable exception was Nguyen Dang Quang of Masan Group, whose wealth rose by roughly $100 million after Masan shares gained about 7% since the start of the year—an illustration of how quickly sentiment can shift in Vietnam’s fast-moving equity market.
For global investors, Vietnam’s expanding billionaire roster is more than a curiosity. It reflects a stock market increasingly capable of creating—and erasing—large-scale wealth, signaling both opportunity and risk. As Vietnam pushes toward deeper capital market reforms and greater international participation, the key question is whether this new concentration of wealth will translate into broader economic resilience—or simply amplify the swings of an increasingly financialized growth story.
Behind the data warnings, Vietnam’s paradox-driven growth keeps defying Western logic
At a time when global investors are obsessing over recession risks, fragile supply chains, and emerging-market debt, Vietnam stands out for all the wrong—and right—reasons. Despite repeated warnings from rating agencies and analysts trained in Western economic models, the country continues to function, grow, and absorb shocks in ways that defy conventional forecasting. Understanding Vietnam’s economy today may require looking less at spreadsheets—and more at its streets.
This paradox came into sharp focus during a recent discussion among Hong Kong-based fund managers, where Vietnam’s near-term outlook sparked unease. Vietnam has been flagged by Moody’s Investors Service among the world’s most unstable sovereign bond profiles, reflecting structural vulnerabilities, opaque balance sheets, and macroeconomic imbalances. On paper, the warning signs are unmistakable. Yet in practice, Vietnam continues to move forward, albeit unevenly, much like its famously congested traffic.
What surprises international visitors most about Vietnam is not its beaches, heritage sites, or cuisine, but the overwhelming flow of motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The traffic appears chaotic, rule-light, and permanently congested—yet it works. Accidents are fewer than expected, road rage is rare, and millions of people navigate daily life through patience, improvisation, and mutual tolerance. Progress is slow, but it happens.
Vietnam’s economy mirrors this system almost exactly. Real estate transactions account for roughly one-third of GDP. Remittances and external transfers contribute nearly half of foreign exchange inflows. The country imports massive volumes of raw materials only to re-export finished goods, embedding Vietnam deeply into global manufacturing chains while limiting domestic value capture. Households hold an estimated 1,000 tons of gold—equivalent to more than half of GDP—outside the formal financial system, while banking remains the most profitable sector despite limited transparency by international standards.
These contradictions extend beyond numbers. State-owned enterprises are designated as the backbone of the economy, yet the country’s wealthiest individuals emerge from the private sector. Environmental and public health risks dominate daily concerns, while alcohol and tobacco remain among the cheapest and most widely consumed products. Formal bankruptcy is rare, not because firms are healthy, but because failure is socially and administratively discouraged until all obligations are settled.
For global investors, the key takeaway is not that Vietnam is risk-free—far from it—but that traditional Western analytical frameworks consistently underestimate the country’s adaptive capacity. Vietnam’s economic actors, from households to entrepreneurs, operate with informal buffers: family networks, cash savings, gold reserves, and social flexibility. When shocks hit, adjustment comes through delay, dilution, and improvisation rather than collapse.
Vietnam does not sprint like developed markets. It crawls, weaves, and inches forward, absorbing friction along the way. For those willing to accept slower velocity, higher noise, and structural opacity, Vietnam offers something rare in today’s global economy: a system that survives not because it is efficient, but because it is resilient. The real question for international readers is not whether Vietnam fits global models—but whether global models are ready for Vietnam.
Viral street violence in a top beach destination raises questions about nightlife security and tourism trust in Southeast Asia
In an era when countries compete fiercely for global tourists and digital nomads, a single viral video can damage years of brand-building. That risk is now confronting Nha Trang, after footage surfaced showing bar employees chasing and violently assaulting foreign visitors in one of Vietnam’s most popular beach destinations.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on January 27 on Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, a nightlife hub frequented by international tourists. According to local police, a dispute inside a bar escalated after a foreign tourist allegedly struck a staff member who intervened in an argument involving another foreigner. What followed quickly crossed the line from self-defense into mob violence.
Investigators say three bar employees armed themselves with billiard cues, wooden sticks, and a metal bar, then chased the tourists from inside the venue onto the street. Video footage shows at least one tourist attempting to fight back before being overwhelmed and pursued for roughly 40 meters, triggering public panic in the normally bustling area. After the tourists fled, the staff reportedly returned to the bar and resumed business as usual.
The video spread rapidly across Vietnamese social media, prompting public outrage and swift police action. Authorities arrested all three suspects on Friday and launched a broader investigation, including checks at local hospitals to determine whether any foreign nationals sought treatment for injuries. As of now, the condition and identities of the tourists involved have not been confirmed.
For Vietnam, which welcomed millions of international visitors as tourism rebounded across Southeast Asia, the incident underscores a fragile truth: safety perception matters as much as scenery. Nha Trang has long marketed itself as a relaxed, foreigner-friendly coastal escape, and episodes of unchecked violence—especially involving visitors—risk undermining confidence among travelers, investors, and tour operators alike.
The broader question now facing local authorities is not just criminal accountability, but systemic prevention. As Vietnam pushes to position itself as a premium, long-stay destination for global travelers, nightlife management, staff training, and rapid law enforcement response are no longer local issues—they are national competitiveness factors. One viral video can travel faster than any tourism campaign.
Record fund outflows meet a corporate bond revival, reshaping Vietnam’s investment outlook
Global investors watching Vietnam are seeing a familiar late-cycle signal: equity funds are pulling back aggressively, while the corporate bond market is quietly re-opening. According to new data from FiinGroup, 2025 marked a year of defensive repositioning by professional investors—setting the stage for a potential capital rotation in 2026.
Vietnam’s investment funds recorded nearly VND 35 trillion in net outflows in 2025, the largest on record. This was not a flight from the market, but a deliberate response to elevated stock valuations and a year of strong gains. Fund managers increasingly locked in profits, raised cash levels toward the end of the year, and reshuffled portfolios—most visibly within the banking sector, which remains the backbone of Vietnam’s financial system.
The shift in fund behavior reflects growing caution rather than pessimism. By December, many large funds were holding higher cash buffers, signaling a wait-and-see stance amid global uncertainty, tighter financial conditions, and concerns over valuation sustainability. For international allocators, this mirrors patterns seen in other emerging markets when equities move ahead of fundamentals.
While equity funds stepped back, Vietnam’s corporate bond market told a different story. Bond issuance rebounded sharply in 2025, driven primarily by banks and private placement channels. Early bond buybacks hit record levels, helping restore confidence, while secondary market liquidity improved significantly—an important signal after several turbulent years for local credit markets.
However, risk has not disappeared; it has merely shifted forward. FiinGroup estimates that corporate bond repayment obligations—including principal and interest—will reach approximately VND 324 trillion in 2026, up more than 28% year-on-year. This looming maturity wall means credit quality, issuer transparency, and refinancing capacity will be decisive factors for both domestic and foreign investors.
Looking ahead, Vietnam’s corporate bond issuance is projected to reach around VND 800 trillion in 2026, a 24% annual increase. Banks and real estate developers are expected to remain dominant, but the anticipated return of infrastructure and energy issuers points to broader capital formation tied to long-term growth themes, from urbanization to energy transition.
The bigger takeaway for global readers is not about short-term flows, but structure. Vietnam appears to be entering a phase where capital becomes more selective, more credit-driven, and more sensitive to balance-sheet strength. The key question for 2026 is whether this bond-led recovery will stabilize the financial system—or quietly redraw where smart money chooses to take risk in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam’s banking giants move fast on digital assets as Hanoi formalizes crypto rules
Vietnam’s push to bring cryptocurrencies into the regulated financial system is accelerating—and global investors are watching closely. Vietnam Prosperity Commercial Bank is the latest heavyweight lender to announce plans for a digital asset exchange, signaling that Southeast Asia’s fast-growing crypto market is entering a new, more institutional phase.
Vietnam Prosperity Commercial Bank, listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange under the ticker VPB, confirmed it is among five financial institutions selected for Vietnam’s pilot program to establish the country’s first licensed cryptocurrency exchanges. The move follows closely after Techcombank disclosed its own application, highlighting a rapidly intensifying race among top-tier Vietnamese banks.
Speaking at an investor briefing on January 28, VPBank’s Standing Deputy CEO Luu Thi Thao said the bank has been working since late 2025 with domestic and international partners to set up a joint-stock exchange operator named CAEX. According to management, the trading platform’s technology, cybersecurity systems, and blockchain-specialized personnel are already in place, allowing operations to begin immediately once the regulatory framework is finalized.
For international readers, the significance lies in timing. Vietnam is one of the world’s most active crypto markets by retail participation, yet until now has operated largely in a legal grey zone. From January 1, 2026, the Law on Digital Technology Industry officially recognizes cryptocurrencies, making Vietnam the 46th country globally to legalize digital assets. This shift opens the door for banks—rather than offshore platforms—to dominate domestic crypto trading, custody, and structured products.
VPBank’s crypto ambitions are backed by strong financial momentum. The bank expects consolidated assets to reach roughly VND 1.26 quadrillion in 2025, up more than 36% year-on-year, while pre-tax profit is projected to rise 53% to VND 30.6 trillion. Growth has been driven by its broader ecosystem, including consumer finance arm FE Credit, insurer OPES, and securities unit VPBankS, whose IPO raised nearly VND 13 trillion in fresh capital. That balance sheet strength matters in a licensing regime that demands high charter capital, institutional shareholders, and robust system security—conditions that may limit initial approvals to only around five exchanges.
Beyond crypto, VPBank is also positioning itself for Vietnam’s forthcoming gold market liberalization as Decree 24 is amended to reduce state monopolies. The bank plans to offer not just physical gold trading but also gold-linked structured deposits, certificates, and forward contracts, underscoring a broader strategy to capture alternative assets within a regulated banking framework.
A key strategic edge for VPBank is its expanded ability to tap foreign capital. After acquiring GPBank under a special restructuring mechanism, the lender is permitted to raise foreign ownership to as much as 49%, giving it greater flexibility to partner with global technology providers and financial institutions in digital assets. That contrasts with many regional peers still constrained by tighter ownership caps.
Regulators, however, are signaling that legalization does not mean leniency. Vietnam is drafting stricter enforcement tools, including higher fines, asset confiscation, and potential criminal liability for serious violations. From mid-2026, a 0.1% personal income tax on each digital asset transaction—mirroring securities trading tax—will also come into effect, reshaping trading economics.
The bigger question for global investors is whether Vietnam can balance innovation with discipline. If successful, the country could emerge as Southeast Asia’s first major market where crypto trading is led by regulated banks rather than offshore exchanges—a model that may redefine how emerging markets integrate digital assets into mainstream finance.
Năm 2025, kinh tế thế giới trải qua nhiều biến động phức tạp khi các xung đột vũ trang và giao tranh tại nhiều điểm nóng vẫn chưa chấm dứt. Cùng với đó, cuộc chiến thuế quan leo thang và xu hướng gia tăng các chính sách bảo hộ, đặc biệt từ Mỹ, đã làm gia tăng mức độ phân mảnh của chuỗi cung ứng toàn cầu. Thiên tai và biến đổi khí hậu tiếp tục gây ra những hệ lụy nghiêm trọng, đặt ra thách thức lớn đối với bảo đảm an ninh năng lượng và an ninh lương thực trên phạm vi toàn cầu. Trong bối cảnh đó, lạm phát tại nhiều quốc gia có xu hướng hạ nhiệt; các chính sách vĩ mô được điều hành theo hướng hỗ trợ tăng trưởng; điều kiện tài chính dần được cải thiện nhờ tâm lí lạc quan về tác động của các công nghệ mới.
Năm 2025 cũng được xem là bước ngoặt trong chu kì chính sách tiền tệ toàn cầu. Sau giai đoạn thắt chặt nhằm kiểm soát lạm phát, phần lớn các ngân hàng trung ương đã chuyển sang nới lỏng chính sách để hỗ trợ tăng trưởng và hướng tới kịch bản “hạ cánh mềm”. Tại Mỹ, Cục Dự trữ Liên bang (Fed) đã ba lần hạ lãi suất trong năm; quyết định ngày 10/12/2025 giảm 0,25 điểm phần trăm đã đưa biên độ lãi suất cho vay cơ bản xuống mức 3,5 – 3,75%. Tại khu vực đồng Euro, Ngân hàng Trung ương châu Âu (ECB) cắt giảm lãi suất theo lộ trình trong nửa đầu năm, đưa lãi suất tiền gửi về 2% từ tháng 6 và duy trì ổn định sau đó, phản ánh niềm tin vào xu hướng lạm phát hạ nhiệt bền vững. Ngân hàng Trung ương Anh (BOE) cũng theo đuổi chính sách nới lỏng, hạ lãi suất cơ bản từ 4,75% cuối năm 2024 xuống 3,75% vào ngày 18/12/2025, thông qua bốn đợt giảm liên tiếp, mỗi đợt 0,25 điểm phần trăm.
Gian hàng Vicostone Canada Inc. tại triển lãm IDS Toronto 2026
Hoạt động trong lĩnh vực kinh doanh quốc tế, kết quả sản xuất – kinh doanh của Vicostone chịu tác động đáng kể từ bối cảnh kinh tế vĩ mô toàn cầu, đặc biệt tại các thị trường trọng điểm như Bắc Mỹ và châu Âu. Trong năm 2025, thị trường bất động sản và xây dựng nhà ở tại các khu vực này tiếp tục đối mặt với nhiều khó khăn khi giá bất động sản duy trì ở mức cao, trong khi chi phí vật liệu xây dựng và nhân công gia tăng. Những yếu tố này làm suy giảm nhu cầu tiêu dùng, tác động trực tiếp đến quyết định đầu tư, hoạt động xây mới – cải tạo nhà ở, đồng thời ảnh hưởng đến biên lợi nhuận của các nhà đầu tư và doanh nghiệp bất động sản.
Doanh thu thuần và lợi nhuận hợp nhất Quý IV2025 và cả năm 2025 của Công ty ước thực hiện như sau:
Đơn vị: tỉ đồng
Hạng mục
Quý IV/2025
Quý IV/2024
Năm 2025
Năm 2024
% Tăng (giảm) năm 2025 so với năm 2024
Doanh thu thuần
1.067,46
1.102,34
4.128,89
4.322,07
-4,5%
Lợi nhuận trước thuế
223,68
222,62
832,35
953,34
-12,7%
Kết quả đạt được là sự nỗ lực lớn của Công ty trong bối cảnh kinh tế thế giới biến động mạnh trong năm qua.
Về công tác phát triển thị trường, với sự hỗ trợ và đồng hành của công ty mẹ – Tập đoàn Phenikaa, Vicostone đã ghi nhận nhiều kết quả tích cực tại các thị trường trọng điểm, cụ thể như sau:
Tại thị trường Mỹ, nhờ triển khai tái cấu trúc hệ thống phân phối thương hiệu VICOSTONE® từ năm 2024, đến năm 2025, mạng lưới đại lí của Vicostone đã đưa sản phẩm tiếp cận người tiêu dùng trên toàn bộ các bang tại Mỹ, qua đó củng cố vững chắc vị thế của thương hiệu tại thị trường trọng điểm này.
Tại thị trường Canada, mặc dù bối cảnh kinh tế vẫn còn nhiều khó khăn, Vicostone ghi nhận mức tăng trưởng ấn tượng trong năm 2025 nhờ đẩy mạnh các hoạt động marketing và xúc tiến bán hàng, kết hợp với các chính sách hỗ trợ kịp thời và linh hoạt từ phía Công ty dành cho hệ thống phân phối.
Đối với thị trường châu Âu, năm 2025 tiếp tục là giai đoạn nhiều thách thức do tác động của căng thẳng địa chính trị Nga – Ukraine và bất ổn chính trị tại một số quốc gia lớn như Đức, Pháp. Tuy nhiên, với sự đồng hành và hỗ trợ tích cực của Công ty trong các hoạt động marketing và bán hàng, các đại lí phân phối tại khu vực này vẫn đạt được mức tăng trưởng đáng kể, đóng góp quan trọng vào doanh thu xuất khẩu của Vicostone trong năm 2025.
Tại các thị trường khác, Vicostone kiên định chiến lược vừa duy trì và củng cố vị thế tại các thị trường hiện hữu, vừa chủ động mở rộng và tìm kiếm các thị trường mới nhằm gia tăng độ phủ thương hiệu và tạo nền tảng tăng trưởng bền vững. Trong năm 2025, hệ thống phân phối thương hiệu VICOSTONE® đã được mở rộng sang các thị trường mới như Đài Loan, Ấn Độ, Nhật Bản, đồng thời tiếp tục phát triển mạng lưới đại lí tại các thị trường hiện có, góp phần nâng cao nhận diện và giá trị thương hiệu VICOSTONE® trên phạm vi toàn cầu.
Về sản phẩm, Công ty chú trọng đẩy mạnh hoạt động marketing và nghiên cứu phát triển nhằm ra mắt các dòng sản phẩm mới, mang tới cho khách hàng toàn cầu nhiều trải nghiệm và sự lựa chọn độc đáo, đa dạng về kiểu dáng, mẫu mã, góp phần gia tăng doanh số bán hàng. Trong năm 2025, tiếp tục chiến lược đầu tư vào sản phẩm thân thiện môi trường, Công ty đã đầu tư mạnh mẽ vào công tác R&D để cho ra mắt dòng sản phẩm mới Vicostone ECO Surfaces. Bước đầu, cung cấp ra thị trường 36 sản phẩm ECO tại Úc và California.
Về quản trị tài chính, Năm 2025, Công ty đã chủ động rà soát và tối ưu hóa quy mô hàng tồn kho, qua đó giảm 228 tỉ đồng so với đầu kì. Việc điều chỉnh tồn kho góp phần nâng cao hiệu quả sử dụng vốn lưu động, cải thiện tốc độ luân chuyển hàng hóa và giảm áp lực chi phí tài chính, đồng thời vẫn bảo đảm đầy đủ nhu cầu phục vụ hoạt động sản xuất – kinh doanh. Trong năm qua, Công ty đã thực hiện đầy đủ nghĩa vụ đối với ngân sách Nhà nước với tổng số tiền nộp đạt 292 tỉ đồng, tăng 31% so với năm trước. Kết quả này thể hiện tính tuân thủ và trách nhiệm cao của Công ty đối với Nhà nước.
Về cơ cấu nguồn vốn, dư nợ vay của Công ty giảm xuống còn 334 tỉ đồng, phù hợp với định hướng sử dụng đòn bẩy tài chính thận trọng. Song song đó, tiền và các khoản tương đương tiền cuối kì của Công ty là 1.188 tỉ đồng, đầu tư nắm giữ đến ngày đáo hạn (là các khoản tiền gửi ngân hàng có kì hạn 6 – 12 tháng) là 588 tỉ đồng; bảo đảm khả năng thanh toán, nâng cao tính linh hoạt tài chính và tạo nền tảng cho các kế hoạch phát triển trong thời gian tới.
Nhìn chung, các chỉ tiêu tài chính trọng yếu cho thấy tình hình tài chính của Công ty tiếp tục duy trì an toàn, ổn định.
Năm 2026 được dự báo là giai đoạn kinh tế thế giới tiếp tục vận động phức tạp và khó dự báo cùng xu hướng tái cấu trúc chuỗi cung ứng toàn cầu và gia tăng các biện pháp bảo hộ kinh tế. Các nền kinh tế lớn như Mỹ, châu Âu và Trung Quốc được kì vọng sẽ tiếp tục điều chỉnh chính sách và chiến lược phát triển nhằm bảo vệ lợi ích quốc gia và nâng cao năng lực cạnh tranh. Trong xu thế đó, Việt Nam đang đẩy mạnh chuyển dịch cơ cấu sản xuất, từng bước khẳng định vai trò là một mắt xích quan trọng trong chuỗi cung ứng khu vực và toàn cầu. Tuy nhiên, ngành công nghiệp vật liệu xây dựng nói chung và ngành sản xuất đá thạch anh nhân tạo nói riêng vẫn sẽ phải đối mặt với nhiều khó khăn và thách thức từ thị trường, chính sách và cạnh tranh quốc tế. Nắm bắt và dự báo diễn biến của thị trường, Hội đồng Quản trị Vicostone xác định tiếp tục điều hành hoạt động sản xuất – kinh doanh theo định hướng thận trọng, chủ động xây dựng các kịch bản linh hoạt, sẵn sàng thích ứng với biến động và tìm kiếm cơ hội phát triển bền vững trong năm 2026 trên nền tảng cốt lõi đã xây dựng và phát triển trong những năm qua.
VN-Index sheds nearly 100 points as foreign selling and blue-chip pressure rattle Southeast Asia’s frontier market
Vietnam’s stock market has entered its most prolonged downturn in seven years, a move closely watched by global investors assessing risk appetite across emerging and frontier markets. After seven consecutive losing sessions, the VN-Index has fallen nearly 100 points, underscoring how quickly sentiment can shift in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies.
The benchmark closed around 1,803 points on Tuesday, down 27 points on the day and roughly 100 points from last week’s peak. The last time Vietnam experienced a comparable correction was in late 2018, when the index hovered near 900 points and global markets were grappling with tightening liquidity and trade tensions. Today’s sell-off, however, comes despite Vietnam’s stronger macro fundamentals and continued appeal as a manufacturing and investment hub.
At the center of the decline is Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest corporate conglomerate and a bellwether for domestic equities. Heavy selling in VIC, VHM, VRE, and related stocks erased an estimated 24 points from the index, according to VNDirect Securities. VIC, the market’s largest-cap stock, fell to its floor price, while VHM and VRE briefly wiped out earlier gains before closing sharply lower. The pressure on Vingroup stocks weighed heavily on market psychology, triggering broader risk-off behavior.
The weakness spilled into key sectors. Banking shares—including ACB, VCB, BID, SHB, and VPB—ended lower, amplifying the index’s losses, while construction stocks such as VCG, CTD, and HTN extended their corrections. By contrast, pockets of resilience emerged. Oil and gas names like GAS, PVD, PVT, and BSR rose 2–4%, benefiting from stronger energy prices, while select real estate developers and steelmakers posted modest gains, suggesting capital rotation rather than a full market retreat.
Liquidity surged on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, with turnover jumping to nearly VND 34 trillion, a notable increase from the previous session. VHM and VIC dominated trading value, joined by FPT and VIX, signaling heightened activity rather than investor disengagement. Yet foreign investors added to the pressure, selling a net VND 1.8 trillion—the heaviest outflow in nearly two months—largely concentrated in banking stocks, a key sector for international funds tracking Vietnam’s growth story.
For global investors, the sell-off raises a familiar question: is this a warning sign or a reset? Analysts at Vietcombank Securities argue the latter, noting that capital is still circulating and selectively backing outperforming stocks. Their view suggests Vietnam’s market correction may be less about fundamentals deteriorating and more about valuation discipline and risk recalibration.
The coming sessions will be critical. If selling pressure in heavyweight stocks eases and foreign flows stabilize, Vietnam’s market could attract bargain hunters seeking exposure to Southeast Asia’s long-term growth. The deeper question for investors is whether this correction marks a temporary pause—or the start of a more meaningful repricing in one of Asia’s most closely watched frontier markets.
