If you’re traveling through Vietnam — whether you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or Da Nang — you’ll end up at a convenience store more often than you’d expect. Whether you need a cold drink, a quick snack, or somewhere air-conditioned to cool down, convenience stores become a daily part of the trip.
In major Vietnamese cities like Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City, there are four main convenience store chains: Circle K (the largest foreign chain), FamilyMart (Japanese-owned), WinMart+ (Vietnam’s homegrown giant), and GS25 (Korean-owned). Each has a different feel and different strengths.
This guide covers each chain based on personal experience — what they’re good for, where to find them, and which one to head to first.
Convenience Store Locations by City in Vietnam
All four chains operate across Vietnam, but coverage varies significantly by region. Here’s a quick breakdown as of March 2025 (source: Vietnam Retail Modern Trade Report 2025):
Store Count Nationwide (March 2025)
WinMart+ — 3,692 stores nationwide
- Ho Chi Minh City: 633 | Hanoi: 1,055 | Da Nang, Nha Trang & others: 2,004
- By far the most locations — easy to find almost anywhere in Vietnam
Circle K Vietnam — 499 stores nationwide
- Ho Chi Minh City: 217 | Hanoi: 190 | Da Nang, Nha Trang & others: 92
- Strategically placed in tourist areas and city centers
GS25 — 236 stores nationwide
- Ho Chi Minh City: 155 | Hanoi: 6 | Da Nang, Nha Trang & others: 75
- Expanded into Hanoi in early 2025; concentrated in the south and center
FamilyMart — 140 stores nationwide
- Ho Chi Minh City: 105 | Hanoi: 0 (not yet present) | Da Nang, Nha Trang & others: 35
- Limited to southern and some central areas only
1. Circle K Vietnam
Circle K is the convenience store you’ll run into most often across Vietnam. With nearly 500 locations nationwide, it’s the largest foreign convenience store chain in the country — and the one you’re most likely to find near your hotel or on the way to the beach.
What sets Circle K Vietnam apart from other chains is its fresh cooked food and sit-down space. The banh mi (Bánh mì) and stir-fried noodles (Mì Xào) made fresh on-site are genuinely good and very affordable — popular with locals and tourists alike.
Most Circle K locations have tables and chairs with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, and stay open 24 hours. It doubles as a casual hangout spot for younger Vietnamese, which gives it a livelier atmosphere than a typical convenience store.
Key features:
- Fresh cooked food: Banh mi, stir-fried noodles, and egg noodle soup made to order at a low price.
- Tourist-friendly facilities: Seating, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi in most locations.
- Nationwide availability: Easy to find in every major city and tourist area across Vietnam.
Pros
- Most accessible chain in Vietnam, especially in tourist cities
- Many locations open 24 hours
- Affordable freshly cooked food
- Seating, air conditioning, and free Wi-Fi
Cons
- Packaged food quality is a step below FamilyMart
2. FamilyMart Vietnam
Even if there isn’t a FamilyMart near your hotel, it’s worth going out of your way to find one. It’s the best convenience store chain in Vietnam for food quality — by a clear margin.
FamilyMart brings Japanese convenience store standards to Vietnam: clean stores, high-quality ready-made meals, fresh sandwiches, and neatly packaged fruit. The difference compared to other chains is immediately noticeable.
Key features:
- Best ready-made food: Bento boxes, rice balls (onigiri), and fresh sandwiches are well above the competition in taste and freshness.
- Japanese imports: A good selection of Japanese snacks, instant noodles, curry, and oden that you won’t easily find elsewhere in Vietnam.
- Well-maintained stores: Most locations are spacious and consistently tidy.
FamilyMart operates around 140 stores in Vietnam, most of them in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern region. If you’re visiting Da Nang or Nha Trang, there are a limited number of locations — so check in advance.
Pros
- Best food quality of any convenience store chain in Vietnam
- Wide range of Japanese imported products
- Clean, comfortable stores
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than other chains
- Mostly limited to southern Vietnam — rare in Da Nang and Nha Trang
3. WinMart+ — Vietnam’s Supermarket-Style Convenience Store
WinMart+ is Vietnam’s largest homegrown retail chain, operated by Masan Group, with over 3,000 locations across the country. The sheer number of stores makes it unavoidable — but quality varies wildly depending on where you are.
In major cities, WinMart+ stores look and feel like any modern convenience store. Outside the city center, some locations feel more like a neighborhood corner shop. The brand runs two formats under the same name:
- Convenience Store format: 50–150㎡, focused on drinks, snacks, and ready-made food.
- Minimart format: 150–500㎡, with fresh produce, meat, and vegetables — closer to a small supermarket.
Think of WinMart+ less as a convenience store and more as a mini supermarket. It’s useful for stocking up on local groceries at lower prices, but for packaged snacks or prepared meals, the foreign chains are usually a better bet.
Pros
- Most locations of any chain in Vietnam — easy to find nationwide
- Lower prices than foreign chains
- Minimart-format stores carry fresh produce and a wider grocery range
Cons
- Store quality varies enormously — can range from modern to very basic
- Overall product quality and service below the foreign chains
4. GS25 Vietnam
GS25 is a Korean convenience store chain that has been expanding steadily in Vietnam since 2018. It now has over 230 locations, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City with a growing presence in Da Nang.
The standout feature for international travelers is its Korean food selection — Korean instant noodles, Korean snacks, and drinks you won’t find in other chains are stocked alongside Vietnamese products. If you’re curious about Korean food culture, GS25 is worth a visit.
Outside of the Korean product range, GS25 is a solid convenience store, but nothing about it especially stands out compared to Circle K or FamilyMart. The stores are clean and well-organized, and the ready-made food section has been improving, but it’s not quite at FamilyMart’s level.