Ecostore launches first store in Vietnam

(Source: Supplied)

New Zealand-based sustainable health & beauty brand Ecostore has launched its first brick-and-mortar store in Vietnam, as part of its regional expansion plan. 

The store, which is located in Ho Chi Minh City, has an in-store refillery where consumers can bring their own packaging to refill with Ecostore products.

Ecostore was founded in 1993 by Malcolm and Melanie Rands and its products have been sold in Vietnam since 2020, online and through third-party retailers.

Explaining the expansion move, Pablo Kraus, CEO at Ecostore, said Vietnamese consumers are increasingly expecting businesses to prioritise environmental sustainability over profit.

“Sustainability has been a growing topic of interest to Vietnamese consumers in recent years and is increasingly top of mind for the growing middle-class demographic in Vietnam, for whom family is the most important aspect of life and who deeply value care for their children,” he said.

Despite its 20-year presence in New Zealand with 200 refilleries, Ecostore claims the concept is new to the Vietnamese market. Kraus said there is an increasing emphasis among Vietnamese families on choosing sustainably created and environmentally friendly products. 

“Our Ecostore values align with the international perception of New Zealand: caring for people, connection to place, integrity, trust, and safety. We have been on a mission to help families care for their homes, their health, and the world for almost 30 years – long before it was a ‘trend’,” he added. 

In addition to its home markets of New Zealand and Australia, Ecostore now sells in more than 15 markets around the globe, including Japan, Korea, China, and Singapore. It sells items for body, baby, and home care, and focuses on lowering its environmental footprint through ingredient sourcing, packaging and in-store refilling.

The new Ecostore Vietnam shop was opened by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who is currently in Vietnam on a state visit.

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