China’s food delivery giant Meituan is getting ready to enter Vietnam, a move that could spark a new round of competition in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital markets.

Several local sources say the Beijing-based company has set up a subsidiary in Ho Chi Minh City and started hiring for business development and operations roles. The official launch date has not been announced.

Meituan is one of China’s largest on-demand service platforms. In addition to food delivery, it offers travel bookings, hotel reservations, and other lifestyle services.

In China, the company handles a huge share of food delivery orders and serves hundreds of millions of users each year. This scale and experience could give it strong momentum as it enters Vietnam.

Vietnam’s food delivery market has grown quickly over the past decade. Rapid urbanisation, rising smartphone use, and the growth of digital payments have all supported this expansion.

The market is currently led by Grab and ShopeeFood, which have invested heavily in delivery networks, discounts, and merchant partnerships.

Competition has already proven intense. In 2023, South Korea’s Baemin withdrew from Vietnam, citing mounting pressure in a market crowded with multinational players vying for share.