
HANOI -- Competition is heating up in Vietnam's retail market, as deregulation attracts entrants from other sectors and from overseas.
In one corner of Hanoi's Old Quarter, characterized by narrow streets and French colonial architecture, a small shop carries a conspicuous sign reading, "VinMart+ (plus) ." Inside, processed foods, beverages, vegetables, stationery and toys fill up both sides of a narrow aisle. One customer, a 36-year-old company employee, said she likes the shop and visits it every day because she can easily pull over on her motorcycle to make a quick purchase.