AI, data platform investment unlocks huge opportunities to enhance customer experience: Masan CEO

Vietnam’s leading multi-sector conglomerate Masan Group has made strong investments in AI, big data, and integrated supply chains to improve its operational efficiency, optimize costs, and better serve Vietnam’s 100 million consumers, said CEO Danny Le.

At the Techcombank Investment Summit 2025, themed “The New Vietnam: A Vision for Value Creation,” on Wednesday, he stated that from an international investor’s perspective, Vietnam is emerging as a regional innovation hub, not only due to its stable macroeconomic foundation but also thanks to a young, talented, and adaptable tech workforce.

Vietnam has talent, ambition, and is on a strong growth trajectory. This is the right time to attract new capital, Danny Le told the event.

Speaking on the potential of modern retail, he noted that modern retail channels in Vietnam currently account for only 12% of the total market, compared to 30-50% in neighboring countries like Thailand and Indonesia.

To accelerate retail modernization, building an end-to-end integrated supply chain and developing a robust data platform are key priorities, he stressed.

“Investing in AI, machine learning, and data platforms unlocks huge opportunities to enhance customer experience, optimize costs, and increase operational efficiency. These are core drivers of productivity and cost reduction - two factors modern consumers are deeply concerned about,” Danny Le added.

Previously, during the April 2025 AGM, Masan announced it was deploying Digital Twin technology to simulate and optimize the entire value chain – from brand to retail to the end consumer.

Digital Twin is expected to maximize synergies, reduce costs, and realize Masan’s strategy of integrating offline and online operations. Powered by this technology, WinCommerce, Masan’s retail arm operating WinMart and WinMart+ chains, is entering a new growth phase - expanding smarter, more efficient, and more profitable minimart models.

A closed-loop consumer-retail value chain

Owning a closed-loop value chain from production to distribution, the CEO said Masan is progressively realizing its ambition to become a technology-integrated consumer-retail platform serving 100 million Vietnamese.

From planning, production, and logistics to omnichannel distribution, the entire product journey is tightly controlled - a core factor in achieving sustainable growth and superior margins.

Masan’s consumer goods production is anchored by subsidiaries such as Masan Consumer, Masan MEATLife, and WinEco, while financial services are integrated through Techcombank. Operational logistics are handled by its internal logistics unit, SUPRA, which helps optimize inventory, automate replenishment, and accelerate market penetration.

On the retail front, Masan connects directly with consumers via a modern retail network of over 4,000 WinMart, WinMart+, and WiN stores.

Leveraging this vertically integrated value chain, the group aims to improve supply chain management efficiency and reduce production costs by 15-20% through process digitization and operational optimization.

Beyond digital transformation at its WinMart/WinMart+ network, the corporation also plans to partner with traditional retailers to bring modern retail experiences closer to every neighborhood and street corner across Vietnam.

All of these efforts are not just transformative for Masan but also contribute significantly to the advancement of Vietnam’s entire retail sector, according to Danny Le.

Masan reported that its after-tax profit in Q2/2025 is estimated at VND1.5 trillion ($57.48 million), a nearly 60% increase year-on-year. This figure surpasses VCBS Securities’s forecast of nearly VND1.2 trillion and 26%, respectively.

At the 2025 AGM, its shareholders approved a maximum 2025 dividend payout of 60% (VND6,000 or $0.23 per share). The recently announced 25% interim dividend represents the first tranche of this year’s plan.

Masan is listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) as MSN, which closed Friday at VND76,500 ($2.93) per share.