According to the Statistics Department under the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam's total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue reached approximately VND 3,185 trillion in the first five months of 2026, up 11.2% year-on-year. Retail sales of goods alone totaled VND 2,418 trillion, accounting for nearly 76% of total retail sales and increasing 11.1% from the same period last year. Sales of food and food products rose 9.6%, indicating sustained demand for essential consumer goods.

Alongside rising consumer demand, Vietnam's modern retail network has continued to expand. According to the Vietnam Retail Market Report, the country now has nearly 1,300 supermarkets and almost 280 shopping centers. The expansion has significantly increased the volume of goods moving between distribution centers and retail outlets, placing greater demands on logistics operations.

A representative of a consumer goods distribution company in Ho Chi Minh City said that in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, even a single delayed delivery can immediately affect sales at retail outlets. As a result, the industry's challenge is no longer simply about fleet size, but about maximizing the efficiency of every kilometer traveled.

Against this backdrop, transport operators are placing greater emphasis on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when selecting and managing commercial vehicles. Rather than focusing solely on payload capacity, the TCO approach evaluates the total lifetime cost of a vehicle, including fuel consumption, maintenance, operating expenses, utilization rate, and its ability to generate revenue per kilometer.

Industry experts say optimizing TCO enables businesses to lower operating costs, improve fleet utilization, and strengthen competitiveness as logistics costs become an increasingly important factor in supply chain performance.

For urban distribution and last-mile delivery, some companies have adopted specialized commercial vehicles such as the Gazelle NEXT Truck and Gazelle NN Van.

The Gazelle NEXT Truck is designed with a flexible chassis that supports multiple cargo body configurations, making it suitable for transporting large freight volumes. Meanwhile, the Gazelle NN Van offers a maximum payload of 785 kg and measures 6,230 x 2,068 x 2,735 mm, making it well suited to dense urban environments, narrow streets, and convenience store delivery routes.

According to data provided by the manufacturer, transportation revenue for FMCG, food, and essential goods deliveries typically ranges from VND 6,000 to VND 9,000 per kilometer, depending on the delivery route and service contract.

Under operating conditions in Ho Chi Minh City, the estimated TCO is approximately VND 2,391 per kilometer for the three-seat Gazelle NEXT Truck and VND 2,682 per kilometer for the three-seat Gazelle NN Van. Based on an average annual operating distance of 50,000 kilometers per vehicle, estimated operating profit, excluding management and dispatch costs, ranges from VND 180 million to VND 330 million per year for the Gazelle NEXT Truck and VND 165 million to VND 315 million per year for the Gazelle NN Van.

Logistics experts note that as fleet sizes continue to grow, saving just a few hundred Vietnamese dong per kilometer can translate into substantial gains in profitability across an entire transportation network. Consequently, TCO is increasingly becoming a key metric for fleet planning, operational optimization, and long-term financial management.

As Vietnam's retail sector continues to expand and businesses place greater emphasis on delivery speed and supply chain reliability, effective control of logistics costs is expected to play an increasingly important role in enhancing operational efficiency and maintaining a competitive advantage.