HANOI ¨C These days, Thu Huong no longer shops at the fresh produce market near her home, opting instead to hop in a taxi and head off to Aeon Co.¡¯s 9-month-old mall in Hanoi. There, as she shops for her family of five, she can bask in the air-conditioning and enjoy free Wi-Fi.
¡°It¡¯s very convenient to shop there, I can buy all the different things that my family needs for a whole week. I also feel more modern and fancy when shopping in a place like this,¡± said the 30-year-old dairy company employee.
With a young population, an expanding middle class and one of Southeast Asia¡¯s fastest-growing economies, Vietnam is an alluring market for Aeon, Takashimaya Co. and Seven & I Holdings Co. The reason: China is slowing and growth is flat-lining at home.
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