The China-originated lifestyle-goods chainMINISOwill make an official visit to Vietnam fromApril 25in Ho Chi Minh CityVan Hanh Mallon the 3rd floor, opened its first-in-Vietnam format『MINISO FRIENDS』. A flagship commemoratingthe 10th anniversaryof its entry into Vietnam, it becomes an immersive store where about70% of the lineup is IP-collaboration products. It debuted new items from Sanrio, Chiikawa, and its own IP YOYO, and rolled out large blind-box, collectible, and plush zones.The Manila TimesandMARKETECH APACBased on its local reporting, we organize the aim of the opening and the sales-floor composition.
An IP-focused store fully renovating the 3rd floor of Van Hanh Mall
The new store is located on the 3rd floor of the large commercial facilityVan Hanh Mallin District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. In the form of a full renovation of the existing MINISO store, character installations of YOYO, Chiikawa, Stitch, Winnie the Pooh, and Gift Bearare placed facing the entrance,and the store is divided into zones ofcollectibles / blind boxes / plush / beauty / everyday goods.
Whereas conventional MINISO stores have aimed at a wide customer base centered on everyday goods, the 'FRIENDS' formatnarrows the lineup to about 70% IP-collaboration products,and is designed to capture the"oshi-katsu (fan-support activity)" demandof Gen Z and millennials. With a sales-floor design conscious of photo appeal (photogenic), it's a cutting-edge format premised on spreading on SNS.
Expanded to over 30 cities in 10 years in Vietnam, starting from one store at entry
MINISO opened its first store in Vietnam in 2016, and since then has steadily opened stores in major commercial districts likethe area around Landmark 81, Vincom Times City, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake, and Nha Trang Center,and now has a store network inover 30 major cities.The Van Hanh Mall store becomes a symbolic base placed at that 10-year milestone.
MINISO itself is dual-listed, on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020 and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2022, and expands to over110 countries and regionsworldwide. Vietnam is one of the earliest markets it entered in Southeast Asia, and in recent years, with things likePop Mart's Hanoi IP-focused store opening,the composition of China-originated"trend toy × lifestyle" formatscompeting for the disposable income of Vietnam's young demographic has become clear.
The debut headline IPs and the first-day response
The main lines debuted at the Van Hanh Mall store are as follows.
| IP category | Series / collection name | Positioning |
|---|---|---|
| Own IP "YOYO" | Fly with the Wind Series | The headline of the new blind box |
| Sanrio | Hello Kitty Leopard (Southeast Asia exclusive) | SEA-exclusive collection |
| Chiikawa | Sakura Season Collection | A new item limited to the cherry-blossom season |
| Disney | Stitch / Winnie the Pooh | In-store installation |
| Own IP | Gift Bear | Rolled out on a dedicated display |
On opening day, the popular Vietnamese singerQuân A.Ptook the stage at a visit event as a special guest, and fans came in droves. The Van Hanh Mall official site also announced this event, functioning as a visit-promotion measure.
SNS and fan reactions
"A store where you can buyHello Kitty Leopardfor the first time in Vietnam has opened. Van Hanh Mall 3rd floor — the moment I entered, a pink world, I almost cried" (Threads, paraphrased post by a woman in her 20s living in Ho Chi Minh City)
"The Chiikawa cherry-blossom collection — I gathered in Ho Chi Minh City the ones I couldn't buy in Japan. MINISO FRIENDS is a store that can also target tourists" (X, paraphrased post by a woman in her 30s living in Hanoi)
"The YOYO blind box — I drew five times until my fave's rare one came out. The price range is about 20% higher than the old MINISO stores, but within buying range" (Facebook, paraphrased post by a university student living in Ho Chi Minh City)
From Vietnamese users, many voices say"the seriousness of the IP is different"and "I can even show it off to tourists," and posts positioning it, alongside the nearby Pop Mart and KKV, as"Ho Chi Minh City's new IP-goods hub"are increasing.
Impact on Japanese tourists
Van Hanh Mall (along the planned subway line) is a large mall in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, about 20 minutes by taxi from central District 1 where Japanese tourists stay. As a shopping mall in the city it has a strong local flavor, and visits by Japanese tourists have been limited so far, butthe SEA-exclusive Hello Kitty Leopardandand the new Chiikawa collectionhave started drawing fans as a new customer base.
Sanrio products not sold in Japan and exclusive to Southeast Asia are hard to resell online, with high scarcity of being buyable only locally.Even after the mandatory digital arrival card at Tan Son Nhat International Airport,entry to Ho Chi Minh City is smooth, and it's a location that also easily matchesone- or two-night bullet-shoppingdemand.
Ripple effects on the industry and society
In Ho Chi Minh City, since 2025,Pop Mart's IP-focused store,KKV's global flagship, CHAGEE, and otherChina-originated experiential retail formatshave opened one after another. The opening of MINISO FRIENDS can be called a signal accelerating that flow.
MINISO has set out a policy to accelerate openings of the 'LAND' and 'FRIENDS' formats across Asia during 2026, planning expansion in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia beyond Vietnam too. In the Japanese market it just renovated its Shibuya Modi store in 2024, andthe global horizontal rollout of the IP-focused formathas entered its next stage.
Practical information to grasp before visiting
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Shop name | MINISO FRIENDS Van Hanh Mall |
| Address | Van Hanh Mall 3rd floor, 11 Su Van Hanh, Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Opening date | April 25, 2026 |
| Format | IP-focused 'MINISO FRIENDS,' Vietnam's first store |
| IP product ratio | About 70% |
| Main IPs | Sanrio／Chiikawa／YOYO／Stitch／Winnie the Pooh／Gift Bear |
| Hours | Follows Van Hanh Mall (9:30–22:00 as a guide) |
| Payment methods | Cash (VND) / credit / QR payment |
| Access | About 20 minutes by taxi from central District 1 |
Summary: Ho Chi Minh City heads to the front line of Southeast Asian IP goods
The Van Hanh Mall MINISO FRIENDS store isthe flagship of the IP-focused formatdebuted at the milestone of 10 years in Vietnam, an opening that further intensifies Ho Chi Minh City's"trend toy × lifestyle" competition,where China-originated formats like Pop Mart and KKV run in parallel. Products buyable only locally — the SEA-exclusive Hello Kitty Leopard, new Chiikawa items not launched in Japan, and more — are an appeal for Japanese tourists too.
It's somewhat removed from the city center, butwith one to two hours of focused shoppingit looks set to be a new spot easy to build into future itineraries, as a location where you can secure "souvenirs you can show off" after returning home.
Source
- The Manila Times｜Marking 10 Years in Vietnam, MINISO Unveils The Country’s First MINISO FRIENDS in Ho Chi Minh City
- MARKETECH APAC｜MINISO launches first MINISO FRIENDS store in Vietnam to mark 10-year milestone
- Van Hanh Mall｜Khách Mời Đặc Biệt: Quân A.P Sẽ Xuất Hiện Tại Miniso Friends Vạn Hạnh Mall
- Marketing-Interactive｜MINISO ramps up LAND and FRIENDS expansion across Asia
