China’s food delivery giant Meituan lays groundwork for possible entry into Vietnam

Meituan, China's leading food delivery platform, is laying the groundwork for a potential entry into Vietnam after establishing a local legal entity and beginning recruitment in Ho Chi Minh City, according to corporate filings and job postings.

A company named Meituan Technology Co., Ltd. was registered in HCMC in late 2025, with business lines covering information technology services and computer-related activities.

In February, the firm began hiring business development staff, although Meituan has yet to announce any official launch timeline or commercial plans for the market.

Job advertisements show the Vietnam unit is recruiting personnel to introduce Meituan’s platform and onboard partners including restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues in HCMC. The roles also involve supporting merchants with daily operations once onboarded.

The recruitment drive suggests Meituan is starting to build a local merchant network in food and lifestyle services, typically an early step for food delivery platforms expanding into new markets.

On its recruitment website, Meituan Vietnam describes itself as an operating arm of Meituan in China, tasked with building a local team to develop a digital services ecosystem in Vietnam.

While Meituan remains relatively unknown to Vietnamese consumers, it is a dominant force in China’s online local services market, controlling close to 70% of the country’s food delivery sector. Beyond food delivery, its ecosystem spans instant delivery, restaurant reservations, hotel bookings, entertainment ticketing, and selected mobility services.

Vietnam’s food delivery sector is closely intertwined with ride-hailing platforms, which have expanded rapidly since app-based taxi services were introduced in 2014. The market has since evolved to include motorbike ride-hailing, parcel delivery, and on-demand food services.

Meituan’s preparations come as Vietnam’s ride-hailing and food delivery market continues to expand at a strong pace. According to Mordor Intelligence, Vietnam’s ride-hailing market was valued at about $1 billion last year and is projected to exceed $3 billion by 2031, implying a compound annual growth rate of 19.5% between 2025 and 2031.

Food delivery has been one of the fastest-growing segments. Data from research firm Momentum Works shows Vietnam’s food delivery gross merchandise value reached about $2.1 billion in 2025, up 19% from a year earlier. That growth rate places Vietnam among the second-fastest-growing food delivery markets in Southeast Asia, alongside Malaysia and behind only Thailand, which recorded 22% growth. The regional average stood at 18%.

ShopeeFood and GrabFood dominated the market, each accounting for 48% of total sales, while beFood held a 4% share. Newcomer Xanh SM Ngon, under Vingroup’s ride-hailing Xanh SM and entering the market in mid-2025, has yet to record meaningful sales, according to Momentum Works.