- Data analytics
Meituan sets up in Ho Chi Minh City to take on Grab and Be
China's Meituan enters Vietnam, recruiting in Ho Chi Minh City. Learn how data intelligence helps incumbents track this expansion.
China's food delivery leader Meituan has established its presence in Ho Chi Minh City, the start of a high-stakes expansion into Southeast Asia. With recruitment already underway for local business development teams, the platform is preparing to challenge established leaders like Grab and Be in one of the region's fastest-growing digital economies.
Meituan Technology Co., Ltd. was formally registered in late 2025, focusing on information technology and computer services. The company has not yet announced a launch date, but its job postings show a team being assembled to recruit partners across restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. The multi-sector approach mirrors Meituan's operations in China, where it controls nearly 70% of the food delivery market and offers a broad lifestyle services ecosystem.
Vietnam's ride-hailing and food delivery market reached a value of roughly $1 billion last year and is projected to exceed $3 billion by 2031, an annual growth rate of nearly 20%. The market is already crowded: Grab, Xanh SM, and Be have spent years building infrastructure and consumer loyalty. Meituan will need to sign up high-performing merchants aggressively and offer competitive pricing to lure users away from existing apps.
New merchant listings show where Meituan is moving
A competitor with Meituan's resources often focuses on high-density districts first, so current leaders have to move quickly while holding their volume. Monthly or quarterly market reports are too slow: by the time one is published, a rival may have already secured exclusive deals with the city's most popular restaurant chains.
Operators can follow a competitor's digital footprint well before any press release. New merchant listings and the categories a rival prioritizes show incumbents where to aim defensive marketing and loyalty programs.
Neighborhood-level execution matters more as the competition intensifies, and the physical rollout of a new rival is the first thing to track. Executives who track the new openings race across their target cities can see exactly where Meituan is gaining ground and respond before their local position weakens, with a share of the $3 billion opportunity at stake.
Incumbents facing Meituan in Vietnam can ask DoubleData where it signs merchants first.
