Bac Ninh lychees gain broader access to modern retail systems

During the 2026 harvest season, Bac Ninh lycheescontinued to show strong momentum, with major modern retail chains such as Central Retail Vietnam and MM Mega Market Vietnam simultaneously committing to expand their procurement, promotion, and distribution of the product. The participation of these two leading retailers demonstrates that Bac Ninh lychees are not only maintaining their advantage in traditional markets but are also gradually strengthening their position within modern retail supply chains.

At the 2026 Conference on Promoting the Consumption of Lychees, Key Agricultural Products, Specialty Products, and OCOP Products of Bac Ninh Province, held at the Bac Ninh Provincial Convention Center, representatives of Central Retail Vietnam said the company would boost lychee consumption through its nationwide GO!, Tops Market, and mini go! retail chains. Immediately after the event, the company held a launch ceremony for container trucks transporting Bac Ninh lychees to supermarket systems, creating strong sales momentum from the very start of the harvest season.

Central Retail Vietnam is currently one of Vietnam’s leading multi-format retail groups, operating across food retail, shopping malls, sports, and fashion. With more than 300 stores nationwide and an extensive logistics network, the company is well-positioned to help Bac Ninh lychees reach consumers in major urban areas more quickly. This is a significant advantage as seasonal agricultural products require rapid distribution to maintain freshness and stabilize market value.

Notably, despite an overall decline in market output, Central Retail Vietnam still aims to double its consumption of Bac Ninh lychees compared to the previous season. The target is based on this year’s higher fruit quality, which is considered better aligned with requirements for appearance, food safety, traceability, and modern distribution standards.

In addition to supermarket sales, Central Retail Vietnam will also feature Bac Ninh lychees at the 5th Vietnam Fruit Week, which opens on June 4, 2026, at GO! My Tho. The event coincides with the Lunar New Year 2026, a peak period for fruit consumption, creating further opportunities to promote Bac Ninh lychees and other specialty agricultural products from the province.

The company is also prioritizing premium display locations for lychees in supermarkets, implementing targeted promotional campaigns, and strengthening in-store marketing. This approach helps position lychees not merely as a seasonal product, but as a specialty fruit with a clearly identified growing region, recognized standards, and a transparent production story.

Alongside Central Retail, MM Mega Market Vietnam also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Bac Ninh Province in promoting lychee consumption. The company views support for domestic agricultural products and the enhancement of their value as a key pillar of its sustainable development strategy. This aligns closely with the province’s efforts to restructure agricultural production and the retailer’s strategy to develop modern supply chains.

During the 2025 harvest season, MM Mega Market Vietnam successfully sold more than 100 tons of Bac Ninh lychees through its 21 distribution centers nationwide. The product gained consumer trust thanks to its consistent quality, attractive appearance, and the province’s strict controls over growing areas and traceability systems. Building on these results, MM Mega Market Vietnam expects consumption volume in the 2026 season to grow by more than 50%.

Unlike supermarket chains that primarily serve individual consumers, MM Mega Market Vietnam has strong advantages in serving professional customers, including restaurants, hotels, institutional kitchens, and food service businesses. Bringing Bac Ninh lychees into the HORECA channel helps expand consumption opportunities, reduce pressure on traditional retail markets, and create additional pathways for the product to enter supply chains that require consistent quality and stable sourcing.

MM Mega Market Vietnam is also focusing on optimizing logistics and shortening transportation time from growing areas to consumers. This is a critical factor for lychees, as product quality depends heavily on the speed of harvesting, processing, packaging, transportation, and storage. When cold chain systems, warehousing, and distribution are well organized, the value of the fruit can be maintained more consistently throughout the supply process.

In addition, the company is strengthening the signing of memorandums of understanding and agreements with cooperatives and farming households to standardize procurement procedures, improve production transparency, and stabilize market outlets for growers. This approach is essential for ensuring that Bac Ninh lychees are not sold only through short-term transactions, but gradually develop into long-term partnerships between producers and distributors.

Both Central Retail and MM Mega Market Vietnam are expanding their e-commerce channels. Central Retail is promoting sales through the GO! App, making it easier for consumers nationwide to access the product. Meanwhile, MM Mega Market Vietnam is strengthening sales on digital platforms to broaden market reach. As consumer behavior continues to evolve, bringing lychees onto online platforms helps the product move beyond geographic limitations and reach younger consumers and urban customers more quickly.

Another notable direction is export promotion. Central Retail Vietnam said it will coordinate with its procurement team in Thailand to further boost exports of Bac Ninh lychees to that market. With the advantage of being part of an international retail ecosystem, this connection could open up an important additional export channel, especially as Bac Ninh lychees have already built a reputation for their flavor, quality, and distinctive harvest season.

The simultaneous involvement of two major retail systems shows that the challenge of lychee consumption is shifting away from a “seasonal rescue” mindset toward the development of a structured value chain. Farmers must produce in accordance with established standards and properly manage growing areas, cultivation practices, and product quality, while businesses must ensure procurement, logistics, distribution, and market communications. Only when these links operate in sync can lychees move further into modern retail systems and international markets.

For Bac Ninh Province, the opportunity lies not only in selling more lychees during a single harvest season, but also in building a strong local agricultural brand based on quality, traceability, and sustainable partnerships. With deeper participation from Central Retail Vietnam and MM Mega Market Vietnam in the consumption chain, Bac Ninh lychees have greater opportunities to increase their value, expand market reach, and reinforce their position as a key agricultural product in a new stage of development.