The Co.opMart Rach Mieu supermarket in Ward 7, Phu Nhuan District, brings the number of Co.opMart supermarkets to 18 in the city and 42 nationwide, said Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, chairman of Saigon Co.op, adding Saigon Co.op had invested VND50 billion in the new supermarket.

Stores under the Co.opMart chain mainly sell commodities from local suppliers, especially items that are tagged high-quality Vietnamese goods, Hoa said.

By 2015, Saigon Co.op will increase the number of Co.opMart supermarkets to 100, according to its business development strategy.

On the same day, Saigon Co.op opened the sixth convenience food store in HCMC, nearly a year after it opened the first one. The new Co.op Food store covers more than 350 square meters at 716, Provincial Road 43, Binh Chieu Ward in Thu Duc District.

This is also the biggest Co.op Food store of Saigon Co.op. Like the first five Co.op Food stores, the new store stocks a wide range of foods, including fresh, processed, semi-processed and ready-cooked and frozen foods.

The Co.op Food model has all the conveniences of the Co.opMart supermarket and Co.op convenience store chains, said Nguyen Thi Hanh, general director of Saigon Co.op. She said Co.op Food stores would be developed in residential areas to cater to all shoppers.

Saigon Co.op also plans to expand operations into the property sector by operating shopping centers, offices and apartments.