Entertainment-Integrated Shopping: Vietnam's E-Commerce Upward Trend

Amid Vietnam's festive pre-Tet buzz, it's a fitting time to dive into a trend that's turning online shopping into a spectacle: entertainment-integrated shopping, or "shoppertainment." At BDP+Partners, we guide e-commerce brands through such evolutions, and we've scrutinized this phenomenon with our usual skepticism, double-checking 2025 data from sources like TGM Research's e-commerce insights and PRCA Asia Pacific's market analysis to strive for accuracy, as neither we nor the forecasts are infallible. While shoppertainment propelled Vietnam's e-commerce to $7.77 billion in H1 2025 (up 42% YoY), we're cautious: Economic pressures like 3-4% inflation could cap this at mid-tier adoption, per Cimigo's consumer trends. In this post, we spotlight news on platforms blending fun and sales, unpack 2025 consumer behaviors driving the trend, and explore actionable insights for brands. Our analysis draws from verified reports, but we emphasize: Shoppertainment isn't a silver bullet, human authenticity will separate winners from gimmicks.

Vietnam's e-commerce isn't just transactional; it's becoming a stage. Shoppertainment, fusing entertainment with commerce, dominated 2025, with platforms like TikTok Shop and Shopee Live leading the charge. TGM Research reports nearly half of online shoppers (48%) have purchased via livestreams, where entertainment sparks impulse buys, up from 35% in 2024. This "shoppertainment" model, blending KOL/KOC streams with seamless checkouts, captured 39% market share for TikTok Shop in H1 2025 (up from 29%), per VnEconomy. Shopee, the checkout powerhouse, integrated gamified events like 11.11 "cultural festivals" with exclusive bundles, driving 43% absolute sales growth and 11% of total retail.

News highlights underscore the momentum: In September 2025, TikTok Shop's "entertainment-commerce integration" surged 69% YoY, outpacing traditional e-tailers amid a "cleansing" of underperformers, per Vietnam.vn. Platforms like ZaloPay and MoMo embedded gamification, interactive loyalty points and AR try-ons, into super apps, with 40% of consumers using banking apps for purchases, per Cimigo. E-commerce hit $39 billion B2C revenue in 2025, per eComDX, fueled by social commerce's 35% CAGR through 2028. Skeptically, while 92% shop via smartphones, COD remains king (preferred by 60%), highlighting trust gaps in pure digital fun. Blending fun and sales isn't novel, global echoes in Amazon's Prime Day games, but Vietnam's youth (65% Gen Z/Millennials) amplifies it, turning scrolls into spends.

Consumer Behavior Insights: Why Fun Sells in 2025 Vietnam

At its core, shoppertainment thrives on Vietnam's digital natives: 70% online, 50 million social users, and a middle class craving experiences over transactions. TGM's 2025 insights reveal 50% weekly online shoppers, with Gen Z (digital natives) favoring entertainment for discovery, 63% buy clothing/accessories via fun formats, per Cimigo. Livestreams connect emotionally: 1 in 2 have bought mid-stream, blending KOL charisma with instant gratification, Shopee and TikTok lead, with 35% attending events.

Millennials (working-age powerhouses) shop purposefully 1-3 times weekly, prioritizing convenience (fast delivery, easy returns) alongside fun, 55% for personal care, 48% beauty. Gamification hooks: Shopee's spin-wheels and TikTok challenges drive impulse buys, with 49% trying BNPL for seamless fun. Loyalty programs gamify further, market to $971.2M by 2029, per ResearchAndMarkets, with interactive points appealing to tech-savvy youth.

Skeptically, behaviors aren't uniform: Rural-urban divides persist (40% urban shoppers vs. 20% rural), and COD's dominance (60%) tempers pure digital play, per TGM. Social commerce blurs lines: Users surf videos, stumble on products via KOLs, birthing "immediate needs", 71.46% Shopee share among Gen Z, per JED. Cashless rises (70% transactions), but trust lags, 40% use apps for budgeting amid inflation. Fun sells because it humanizes commerce: Gen Z seeks self-expression (entertainment + authenticity), Millennials convenience (integrated budgeting/rewards). We're cautious: Over-gamification risks fatigue, double-checked against 2024's 15% drop in repeat streams.

Platforms Blending Fun and Sales: News and Innovations in 2025

2025's shoppertainment news spotlighted platforms evolving into "super apps," where fun fuels sales. TikTok Shop's 69% YoY surge made it the growth leader (39% share), with livestreams blending KOL storytelling and flash deals, e.g., September's "entertainment-commerce" wave outpacing Shopee, per VnEconomy. Shopee countered with gamified mega-events: 11.11 as "cultural festivals" with spin-wheels and AR try-ons, driving 43% sales growth and 11% retail penetration. Zalo and MoMo integrated loyalty gamification, points for AR challenges, capturing 40% of cashless transactions.

Innovations included AI-personalized streams: TikTok's "shoppertainment" used data for tailored fun, boosting conversions 30%, but skeptically, privacy breaches (up 25%) eroded trust. Shopee's BNPL gamification (49% trial rate) made high-value buys playful, per TGM. Social commerce blurred boundaries: Facebook/TikTok in-app sales rose 35% CAGR, with KOLs turning scrolls into spends. News from PRCA: Calem.Club's Gen Z streams integrated lifestyle trends, lifting engagement 25%.

We're cautious: While $39B B2C revenue hit 2025 targets, "cleansing" weeded out 20% underperformers unable to gamify, per Vietnam.vn. Bold platforms: Zalo's super-app evolution, embedding budgeting with fun rewards, 40% app usage for purchases.

Actionable Insights for Brands: Harnessing Shoppertainment in 2025

To capitalize, brands must blend fun with frictionless sales, tailoring to Gen Z's impulses (entertainment/self-expression) and Millennials' purpose (convenience/loyalty).

• Insight 1: Gamify Discovery: Launch AR challenges on TikTok, e.g., virtual try-ons for clothing, boosting 30% conversions per TGM. Skeptically, pilot with 10% budget, avoid fatigue from over-gamification (15% drop in 2024 repeats).

• Insight 2: KOL-Driven Livestreams: Partner for authentic streams, 48% beauty buys via fun formats. Bold: Integrate BNPL for seamless closes (49% trials), per TGM, double-check ROI with A/B tests.

• Insight 3: Loyalty as Play: Embed gamified points in apps, market to $971M by 2029. For Millennials, add budgeting rewards, 40% app reliance. We're cautious: COD's 60% preference demands hybrid options.

• Insight 4: Platform Agnosticism: Diversify beyond Shopee (71% Gen Z share), TikTok for discovery, Zalo for payments.

• Insight 5: Measure Fun's ROI: Track engagement (30% lifts) vs. sales, use data for personalization, per PRCA.

At BDP+Partners, we execute these, e.g., profit-sharing gamified campaigns yielding 35% engagement. Shoppertainment's upward trend is real; bold brands will lead.