Multi-sector corporation Masan steps up retail pharma game
Masan, one of Vietnam’s largest listed conglomerates by market capitalization, has made another move in the drug distribution business.
It set up Winphar this March as a service and trading firm with a charter capital of just VND10 million (about $430). The new company was renamed Dr. Win earlier this month and its capital sky-rocketed to almost VND28.6 billion (over $1.22 million). Winphar has begun recruiting pharmacists for its retail business.
Ho Chi Minh City-based Masan operates in multiple sectors including agriculture, food processing, coffee chains, retail, minerals, banking and financial services. It is strongly developing its “Point of Life” concept, where minimarts provide banking services, essential products, pharmaceuticals, food, coffee, tea and other beverages under one roof.
WinMart+ is part of Masan’s retail platform. Photo courtesy of Vietnambiz.
Already incorporated into the minimarts are medicines distributed by HCMC-based Phano Pharma Co, and mobile services provided by new telecommunication brand Reddi.
Masan's vision is to build an offline-to-online platform that will enable customers to have the same experience whether they are sitting at home or shopping at stores.
The Vietnamese pharmaceutical retail market, meanwhile, has been bustling. Big market players FPT Retail and Mobile World Group (MWG) have made their mark across Vietnam in operating pharmacy chains.
The race between the two is indicated by the expansion of FPT Retail’s Long Chau and MWG’s An Khang chains.
FPT's pharmacy chain has about 500 stores nationwide to date, while An Khang operates more than 200, mostly in the south.
Meanwhile, another player in the market, Digiworld, a distributor of tech products, has said it would focus resources on drug retail this year with the goal of becoming one of the three largest pharmaceutical distributors in Vietnam.
- Related News
- Read More
Agribank advances ESG implementation, strengthening foundation for sustainable development
As sustainable development becomes an increasingly important requirement for the financial and banking sector, Agribank is steadily reaffirming its development orientation aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.
Companies - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 4:24 pm GMT+7
Two Hermes bags of convicted tycoon Truong My Lan fetch $531,000 at auction
Two luxury Hermes handbags belonging to tycoon Truong My Lan, chairwoman of Van Thinh Phat, were successfully auctioned in Ho Chi Minh City, generating more than VND14 billion ($530,970) for asset recovery efforts tied to one of Vietnam’s largest financial fraud cases.
Companies - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 4:09 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s cosmetics retail market keeps expanding but at slow pace
Vietnam’s cosmetics retail market continued expanding in 2026, though the pace of store openings has begun to moderate after years of rapid growth, according to market research firm Q&Me.
Economy - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 3:53 pm GMT+7
Major Vietnam conglomerates deepen presence in agriculture sector
The growing presence of both long-established agricultural companies and newly participating private conglomerates is reshaping Vietnam’s agriculture sector into a more diversified industry landscape.
Companies - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 3:27 pm GMT+7
Tai Tam expands energy portfolio with $70 mln wind power project in central Vietnam
A nearly VND1.85 trillion ($70.26 million) wind power project in Gia Lai province marks a new step in Tai Tam Group JSC’s strategy to expand its renewable energy ecosystem.
Energy - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 11:38 am GMT+7
Vietnam's wealth management market offers hundreds of billions of US dollars in growth potential
As Vietnam’s middle class expands rapidly and demand for wealth accumulation rises, the country’s wealth management market is entering a strong growth phase, with potential to reach hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars in the coming years.
Finance - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 10:47 am GMT+7
Winner Medical starts building $61 mln medical supplies plant in northern Vietnam
Nature Health Development International Co. Ltd, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of China's Winner Medical, has broken ground on a medical supplies manufacturing plant worth over VND1.5 trillion ($60.5 million) in Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh.
Investing - Fri, May 22, 2026 | 7:48 am GMT+7
Dragon Capital Vietnam veteran Tran Thanh Tan steps down as vice chairman
Dragon Capital Vietfund Management (DCVFM), a subsidiary of Vietnam-focused asset manager Dragon Capital Group, has approved the resignation of Tran Thanh Tan from his position as vice chairman, marking a major leadership transition at one of Vietnam’s oldest foreign fund management firms.
Finance - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 5:09 pm GMT+7
M&A set to drive Vietnam’s hospitality market in 2026
Analysts expect mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to accelerate sharply in Vietnam’s hotel and resort sector in 2026, particularly in the four-star and five-star segments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as tourism recovery strengthens and investors hunt for premium assets.
Real Estate - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 4:01 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s convenience store boom shifts beyond major cities as chains race for scale
Vietnam’s convenience store and mini-supermarket sector is expected to post another year of rapid expansion in 2026, driven by aggressive store openings from leading retail chains and a strategic push into smaller cities and rural areas, according to market research firm Q&Me.
Companies - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 3:26 pm GMT+7
Phat Dat seeks shareholder approval for Thu Thiem Eco Smart City investment
Phat Dat Real Estate Development Corporation (HoSE: PDR) is seeking to become a strategic investor in the Thu Thiem Eco Smart City project developed by South Korean-backed Lotte Properties HCMC in Ho Chi Minh City.
Real Estate - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 1:38 pm GMT+7
The end of the ‘cash cow’ era: Central Vietnam condotels give way to luxury apartments
After a boom period fueled by attractive profit commitments, the condotel segment in Vietnam’s central city of Danang has entered a prolonged downturn, while the high-end apartment segment is rapidly gaining momentum as the new focal point of the coastal urban real estate market.
Real Estate - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 11:35 am GMT+7
Marubeni becomes shareholder of Amata subsidiary in northern Vietnam
Marubeni Corporation has completed procedures to acquire a 20% stake in Amata Ha Long, a subsidiary of Thailand’s Amata Corporation, the companies said during a meeting with Quang Ninh authorities on Tuesday.
Companies - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 10:07 am GMT+7
Systemic liquidity pressure: Interest rates in Vietnam unlikely to fall further
Rising liquidity pressures are making it increasingly difficult for Vietnam’s deposit interest rates to decline further in 2026, with many commercial banks maintaining rates for 6-12 month deposits at around 6.5-7.8% per year.
Banking - Thu, May 21, 2026 | 8:00 am GMT+7
Danang airport starts $57 mln terminal expansion
Vietnam's central city of Danang has started construction on a nearly VND1.5 trillion ($56.88 million) expansion project for the international passenger terminal (T2) at Danang International Airport, as the city seeks to ease congestion and strengthen its position as a regional tourism hub.
Infrastructure - Wed, May 20, 2026 | 9:23 pm GMT+7
Petrovietnam names Le Manh Cuong as CEO
State-owned giant Petrovietnam has appointed Le Manh Cuong as CEO, elevating a longtime industry executive with more than three decades of experience across Vietnam’s offshore energy and oil-services sector.
Companies - Wed, May 20, 2026 | 4:49 pm GMT+7
