m’s most powerful retailers.  Originally focused on mobile phones through its bright yellow-coloured network of Thegioididong shops, it subsequently launched its Dien May Xanh chain of electronics and appliances stores.  Doan has used his understanding of retail business and a background in finance to develop a company that is fast expanding into new categories and abroad. In neighbouring Cambodia, MWG has been building a network of phone shops trading as BigPhone, and this year launched a partnership in Indonesia with local retail group Erajaya. Perhaps the most surprising leap was from gadgets to the hugely competitive food and grocery sector, where MWG has launched a network of small mini-grocers in rural areas, offering consumers a more organised, curated shopping experience compared with traditional open-air markets.  Doan sees the 300-strong Dien May Xanh Supermini stores as a lean, cost-effective model that sells basic and essential products to meet the demand of local residents. Now the chain is expanding into urban areas with larger footprints and a hybrid format somewhere between a supermarket and a convenience store, with a strong focus on fresh fish, meat, and produce.  Last year proved unforgettable and challenging for Vietnam businesses, due to the severe impact of Covid-19, which led to government-imposed trading bans on non-essential stores that lasted for months in some areas. But MWG recorded US$5 billion in revenue and achieved 103 per cent of its target net profit. The company opened 1142 new points of sale, taking its store count to 5306 by year’s end.  The company is showing no sign of slowing down. During the past three months, it has opened five new trial store concepts specialising in goods as diverse as jewellery, fashion, sports equipment, childrenswear, and bicycles – most of them under a new banner, Ava.