Vietnam's coffee-and-tea chain expansion is a product-development laboratory
The growth of café chains is creating faster feedback loops for flavor, format, pricing and visual identity.
A more competitive retail field
Vietnam News reported in late 2025 that chains including Highlands Coffee, Katinat, Phê La and matcha-focused concepts were expanding through different store formats. The specific store counts change quickly, but the broader signal is durable: coffee and tea are being tested in increasingly sophisticated retail environments.
What exporters can learn from domestic retail
Domestic chains provide a window into consumer expectations around milk compatibility, sweetness, texture, visual color, menu naming, packaging and price architecture. An exporter developing OEM products can use these signals as inspiration while still adapting recipes and compliance to the destination market.
Design is part of product strategy
In high-frequency beverage categories, product and visual identity are inseparable. Color, photography, pack format and menu language should all support the same positioning. A premium matcha pouch with weak color stability or a specialty coffee story with commodity packaging creates a credibility gap.
