In Vietnam’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the traditional journey of "search, compare, and buy" is being fundamentally rewritten. As we move through the first quarter of 2026, the Vietnamese retail sector has hit a structural threshold where entertainment and commerce are no longer separate departments; they are the same experience. This phenomenon, often termed "Watch-Like-Buy" commerce, has effectively compressed the purchase funnel from a multi-day consideration process into a few seconds of high-engagement video content.
For years, the Vietnamese consumer journey followed a predictable, linear path: awareness through an advertisement, consideration through search and price comparison, and finally, a purchase on a marketplace or in-store. However, the market dynamics of 2025 and 2026 have dismantled this model. Today, a Vietnamese shopper particularly from the Gen Z or Millennial demographic is likely to discover a product not because they were looking for it, but because it appeared in a 30-second short-form video or a high-energy livestream.
In this "Watch-Like-Buy" ecosystem, the discovery, persuasion, and checkout phases happen simultaneously within a single app. This shift has propelled Vietnam to become the third-largest e-commerce market in Southeast Asia, with recent valuations soaring past $32 billion (according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade). The growth is no longer driven by simple digital adoption but by a deep psychological shift in how Vietnamese consumers value their time and trust.
The most visible evidence of this shift occurred during the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet) shopping season. Observations from the peak period between December 2025 and late January 2026 showed a dramatic surge in "content-to-commerce" activity. While traditional marketplaces were once the primary destination for festive prep, short-form video platforms took the lead for the first time in terms of growth rate.
One notable trend during this period was the transition of local Vietnamese SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) from using external influencers to building in-house "livestream rooms." Rather than hiring expensive celebrity KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) for a single "Mega-Live" event, many businesses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City transitioned to 16-hour daily livestream cycles operated by their own staff. These "marathon sessions" focused on mid-range Tet gift sets, fashion, and traditional foods like mứt and bánh chưng, allowing brands to maintain thinner margins while reaching consumers directly.
Furthermore, industry reports from the 2026 spring season highlighted that short-form video views across major platforms reached staggering numbers, some hitting over 16 billion views in a single month. This massive volume of content didn't just generate brand awareness; it translated into a 61% increase in direct orders compared to the previous year (according to Vietnamnet.vn). The "Watch-Like-Buy" behavior was so dominant that even traditional retailers in provinces like Binh Duong and Hung Yen reported moving their warehousing and packaging operations closer to urban centers specifically to handle the "instant demand" generated by viral video clips.
The compression of the funnel is driven by three distinct pillars of consumer behavior currently unique to the Vietnamese market:
In Vietnam, hunting for discounts is no longer a chore; it is a competitive social activity. During livestreams, platforms drop "limited-time" vouchers that expire within minutes. This creates a "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) effect that forces immediate decision-making. Consumers watch a video not just to learn about a product, but to participate in the "event" of the sale. This has turned the purchase act into a form of interactive gaming.
The "Watch-Like-Buy" trend is anchored in the rise of the KOC (Key Opinion Consumer). Vietnamese shoppers have grown increasingly wary of polished, high-budget advertisements. Instead, they favor "raw" content: a person in a small room showing the actual texture of a lipstick or the durability of a kitchen gadget. When a creator they follow "lives" with the product, the trust barrier is removed instantly. The funnel is shortened because the "consideration" phase is outsourced to the trusted creator.
A defining feature of 2026 is the integration of AI-powered "shopping assistants" within the video feed. As a viewer watches a livestream, they can type a question about sizing or delivery times, and an AI agent provides an instant, personalized response. This removes the "friction of the unknown" that often leads to cart abandonment. In a market where 89% of online consumers message a business at least once a week, the ability to chat while watching is the final piece of the "instant buy" puzzle.
The rise of compressed commerce in Vietnam has profound implications for how businesses must operate to remain competitive:
Brands as Content Houses: The traditional marketing department is being replaced by content creation teams. To win in 2026, a brand must be able to produce high-velocity, low-cost video content daily. The "campaign" mindset (one big ad per year) is dead; the "content stream" mindset is the new standard.
Operational Agility: Because a single viral video can generate thousands of orders in an hour, logistics must be "elastic." Vietnamese companies are increasingly moving toward smart warehousing and decentralized fulfillment to ensure that an "instant buy" leads to a "fast delivery." In 2026, speed of delivery is viewed as a primary component of product value.
The Regulatory Shift: As commerce becomes more decentralized through livestreams, the Vietnamese government has introduced new regulations (effective July 2026) focusing on seller verification and product traceability. Businesses that prioritize transparency in their video content—showing the origin and certification of goods will gain a "trust premium" over those who only focus on price.
The "Watch-Like-Buy" revolution in Vietnam represents the maturation of the digital economy. We have moved beyond the "utility" phase of e-commerce, where people went online to buy what they already knew they needed. We are now in the "discovery" phase, where the platform tells the consumer what they want through engaging, relatable content.
For marketers and business leaders, the takeaway is clear: the window to influence a Vietnamese consumer has shrunk from days to seconds. Success in 2026 depends on the ability to capture attention, build trust, and facilitate a checkout, all within the span of a single video.
