Saigon Co.op expands food store chain to outskirts

Saigon Co.op, Vietnam’s leading retail store chain operator, has opened a new convenience food store in HCMC’s outlying district of Hoc Mon, taking to five the number of such outlets of Saigon Co.op.

Saigon Co.op’s Co.op Food store in HCMC’s Hoc Mon District attracts many shoppers on the opening day last week.

Saigon Co.op., which is also operator of the fast-expanding Co.opMart supermarket chain, said the new Co.op Food outlet was its first on the city’s outskirts.

The store covers more than 230 square meters at 247 Dang Thuc Vinh Street, 11 months after it opened the first in HCMC, and stocks a wide range of foods including fresh, processed, semi-processed, ready-cooked and frozen items.

This is part of Saigon Co.op’s expansion plan to bring convenience to residential areas in the city where demand for safe and hygiene foods is running high.

Saigon Co.op expects to open 20 such stores in the city this year and the number is forecast to climb to 120 by 2012, with each covering 100 to 500 square meters.

Saigon Co.op said Co.op Food would become a household name, especially for those who are worried about the quality and safety of foods at traditional markets.

Nguyen Thanh Nhan, deputy general director of Saigon Co.op, said Co.op Food stores had attracted a positive response from customers. “That is why we’ve continued expanding the store chain,” he said.

VietNamNet/SGT

Tags: Vietnam business news, Vietnam enterprise, Vietnam retail market