CENTRAL RETAIL IN VIETNAM
Building modern retail foundations A centralised distribution centre improves local conditions, reduces environmental impact and boosts national supply chain efficiency.
Mike asserts:“ It’ s going to take key industry leaders in Vietnam to wake up to the fact that coalition, collaboration and centralisation are absolutely essential for Vietnam’ s prosperity.
“ Most people wouldn’ t be able to imagine running a chain of hypermarkets without a centralised supply chain,” he says. However, in Vietnam the logistics inefficiency is clear:“ Compared to Thailand, Vietnam has twice as many trucks registered … yet hauls half the payload.”
Mike warns that, without addressing structural constraints, suppliers will miss growth opportunities:“ The direct to store delivery model does not work, yet many large suppliers that should know better than to cling to that outdated way of working. Their constrained supply chain is holding the country back, holding their business back.”
For him, this is as much about people as it is about operations.
“ The robots won’ t work if suppliers don’ t deliver what we order”
Mike Reid, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Central Retail in Vietnam
154 November 2025