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A recent Ipsos Indonesia survey indicates that Vietnam’s on-demand services market has moved beyond the testing phase into a more competitive stage, where user experience, trust, and retention are decisive advantages.
Southeast Asia is among the most active markets for ride-hailing and food delivery services. The food-delivery segment is forecast to reach $36 billion by 2030, while ride-hailing could reach $22.5 billion.
In Vietnam specifically, forecasts point to $9 billion for food delivery and $2.56 billion for ride-hailing by 2030. However, the article notes that large scale does not automatically translate into easy returns.
The Vietnamese market already includes major players such as Grab, ShopeeFood, Be, and Xanh SM, each having reached a scale sufficient to compete directly. In this environment, even small differences in user perception can produce meaningful share advantages.
The market’s structure—driven by a young population, high smartphone ownership, strong technology affinity, and growing adoption of digital payments—keeps entry barriers relatively low at the surface level. At the same time, it pushes competition deeper, requiring an end-to-end user experience rather than relying on price or promotions alone.
As a result, the market is no longer framed as “burning money to win users,” but as building habits and loyalty. Once users develop stable behavior, the platform that becomes the default choice in their minds gains an advantage.
Three pillars underpin platform success: convenience, perceived security, and reasonable costs. Ipsos’s August 2025 survey shows that Grab leads in both food delivery and ride-hailing in Vietnam in terms of usage and top-of-mind—meaning the app users think of first when a need arises.
The article describes “top-of-mind” as more than market share: it reflects reflexive behavior, where users open the app they believe is correct from the outset with little or no comparison. It is presented as one of the most difficult advantages to imitate in a digital environment.
According to Ipsos, the decisive pillars are convenience, a sense of security, and cost efficiency, but the outcome depends on how each company implements them.
In food delivery, Grab is highlighted for its familiar brand and seamless experience, covering ordering through to easy order tracking. It is also rated higher on data security and on balancing service quality with cost. The article interprets this as users seeking not only low prices, but also stability and reliability across uses.
Rivals such as ShopeeFood remain competitive in food delivery but have not surpassed Grab’s overall advantage. Xanh SM and Be are present in ride-hailing, but the article notes that brand perception and experience gaps remain significant.
Overall, Vietnam’s ride-hailing and food-delivery markets are entering a new phase of competition. Scale is no longer the sole advantage, and promotions are no longer portrayed as the decisive tool.
The next stage is described as a screening process in which only platforms that can control both experience and trust are likely to remain competitive.
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