Online Friday: Vietnam’s National Online Shopping Day

First launched in 2014, Online Friday is Vietnam's national online shopping day. Approved by the Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is assigned to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to organize the event. This initiative contributes to economic growth in line with the Government's orientation to leverage technological advantages and seize opportunities presented by the ongoing global Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0).

I. Objectives

The Online Friday program has strongly driven the development and breakthrough of the e-commerce sector and the digital economy in Vietnam. It focuses on the following key objectives:

Organizing a fully digital shopping event: Leveraging the advantages of digital technology and e-commerce; applying monitoring solutions to promote authentic products with clear origins from participating enterprises; and boosting the consumption of Vietnamese goods and services developed by local businesses and startups to raise domestic consumer awareness.

Applying digital technology solutions: Utilizing Internet and telecommunications platforms to promote effective online transactions and e-commerce while ensuring information security.

Enhancing consumer experience: Raising public awareness and improving user experience with digital technology platforms applied in e-commerce.

Regional and cross-border integration: Researching and coordinating the implementation of regional online shopping festivals to keep pace with the robust growth of cross-border e-commerce in the region.

Promoting electronic payments: Encouraging the use of digital payment solutions and developing guaranteed payment methods in e-commerce to build consumer trust in online transactions.

Policy advocacy: Creating a foundation to synthesize data and propose support policies to competent authorities for businesses conducting promotional activities during the program.

II. Highlights from Recent Online Friday Events

1. Online Friday 2025: "Safe – Secure – Happy"

The year 2025 marked a strong transformation toward transparency and practical experience, focusing on a safe digital consumer ecosystem. The program collaborated closely with major platforms (Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop) to control counterfeit goods and protect buyers.

• 10.5 million orders generated across the system during the peak week.
• Over 514,000 authentic products participated via the onlinefriday.vn platform.
• The TikTok campaign reached 1 billion views with the hashtag #OnlineFriday.

2. Online Friday 2024: "Pride of Vietnamese Goods"

The 2024 program focused on bringing Vietnamese products into the digital space and capitalising on the livestreaming boom.

• Livestream Record: The "Pride of Vietnamese Goods" session on the Quang Linh Vlog channel recorded over 31,000 orders in a single evening, reaching more than 24 million viewers.
• Participation: Over 800 businesses joined via TikTok Shop, generating 1.8 billion interactions.
• Regional Connectivity: The "BigOFF" event in Hanoi and other provinces showcased agricultural products and local specialties through physical livestreaming stations.

3. Online Friday 2023: A Decade of E-commerce (10th Anniversary)

This milestone year marked the 10-year journey of the program, focusing on stimulating post-pandemic consumption and popularizing cashless payments.

• Scale: Attracted thousands of businesses, ranging from major e-commerce marketplaces to independent websites.
• Mechanism: Applied a maximum promotion limit of up to 100% (under Decree 81), providing a significant boost to year-end sales.
• Technology: Promoted QR Code experiences, electronic payments, and digital transformation solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).