KFC dominates F&B brand rankings in Vietnam for 3rd running year

American fast food chain KFC, for third year in a row, has won the top spot in the Best F&B Rankings 2025 compiled by market research company Decision Lab.

With 26.5 points, KFC continues to lead Vietnam’s quick service restaurant (QSR) segment regardless of a challenging year for the sector, said the report.

Despite a year in which many brands experienced a decline in overall brand health, chicken and coffee chains continued to dominate consumer preferences, with Highlands Coffee (22.6 points) and Trung Nguyen Legend (19.9 points) holding on to second and third positions, respectively.

However, it has been a tougher period for Phuc Long (15.5 points) and The Coffee House (12.6 points), as both have experienced notable drops in their scores and rankings.

Meanwhile, Starbucks (12.6 points) has quietly gained ground, maintaining its position in the top 10 and closing the gap with local competitors.

Alongside the overall rankings, Decision Lab has released the list of top five brands having achieved the highest growth in brand health scores over the past year. Jollibee leads the list with a remarkable 2.2 points increase, followed by Popeyes with a one-point rise.

Decision Lab, YouGov’s exclusive partner in Vietnam, compiles the annual rankings using the YouGov BrandIndex, which tracks six key metrics: impression, quality, value, satisfaction, recommendation, and reputation.

According to a March report by iPOS, by the end of 2024, the number of F&B outlets in Vietnam reached 323,010, marking a 1.8% rise compared to the previous year. Despite challenges in consumer spending, the F&B sector’s revenue is projected to reach approximately VND688.8 trillion ($27.3 billion), up 16.6% from 2023.

However, despite the overall industry growth, only 25.5% of the 4,005 surveyed F&B businesses reported stable revenue compared to 2023, with just 14.7% experiencing growth. Facing rising raw material costs, 49.2% of F&B businesses anticipate raising prices in 2025 to offset cost pressures.

Despite the challenges, the local F&B industry is projected to grow by 9.6% in 2025, with expectations for the emergence of new food trends.