In this article, we will discuss the market size of Korean banchan consumed in Vietnam, the market size of each segment within the Korean banchan industry, the search trends based on keywords related to Korean banchan in Google search, and three companies that appear to be actively engaged in marketing Korean banchan online. We will also present the findings from our research on each company’s web communication strategy. The research was conducted in October 2024.

Vietnam’s Korean Banchan Market Overview 

There is currently no specific data available on the Korean banchan consumer market in Vietnam. However, the overall food consumption data for Vietnam is provided below.

Overview of the Food Market in Vietnam

Vietnam’s food market has experienced steady growth, with total revenue rising from $59.31 billion in 2018 to a projected $107.55 billion by 2026. This growth reflects an increasing consumer demand driven by urbanization, a growing middle class, and a shift towards convenience foods. From 2020 to 2024, the market saw particularly rapid increases, with revenue rising from $69.21 billion in 2020 to $92.47 billion in 2024. Forecasts indicate that this trend will continue, with the market expected to reach nearly $100 billion by 2025. Vietnam’s food sector is thus poised for sustained expansion in the coming years.

Year	Annual market size by revenue (billion USD)
2026 (forecast)	107.55
2025 (forecast)	99.83
2024	92.47
2023	84.85
2022	79.05
2021	73.72
2020	69.21
2019	64.00
2018	59.31
2017	Data not available
2016
2015

Units Sold and Revenues of the Foodservice Market in Vietnam

There is no data on the Korean banchan in Vietnam. As a reference data to roughly grasp the domestic Korean banchan market in Vietnam, the units sold and revenues of the Foodservice market are listed below. Foodservice refers to businesses that prepare and serve food outside the home, such as restaurants, cafes, and catering services, with foodservice revenues representing the income generated from these establishments through the sale of meals, snacks, and beverages.

Year	Number of units sold in consumer foodservice	Revenues of foodservice (billion USD)
2026 (forecast)	363,550	31.17
2025 (forecast)	355,047	29.94
2024	345,854	28.53
2023	335,935	26.92
2022	324,971	23.61
2021	313,662	17.48
2020	314,230	20.53
2019	325,286	23.09
2018	317,564	21.68
2017	311,167	20.21
2016	304,659	18.70
2015	Data not available

Food Market in Vietnam by segmentations

Vietnam’s Food segmentation by Product Types 

Vietnam’s food market demonstrates steady growth across various product segments, with “Bread and Cereal” consistently contributing the highest revenue from 2018 to a forecasted 2026. Fish and seafood, vegetables, and meat also show incremental growth, with Fish and Seafood projected to reach 13.84 billion USD by 2026. Meat and Dairy products continue to be significant, though at slightly lower revenue levels. Fruits and nuts reflect a stable, gradual increase as well, growing from $5.28 billion in 2018 to an anticipated $9.95 billion in 2026. These trends indicate diverse consumer demand and rising market value across all food segments.

Segmentation by Product Types market data 

(Unit: billion USD) 

Year	Bread & Cereal Products	Fish & Seafood	Vegetables	Meat	Dairy Products & Eggs	Fruits & Nuts	Others
2026 (forecast)	18.57	13.84	14.40	13.49	9.85	9.95	27.45
2025 (forecast)	17.47	12.98	13.21	12.30	9.15	9.18	25.54
2024	16.46	12.09	12.13	11.14	8.49	8.47	23.69
2023	15.41	11.11	10.99	9.96	7.86	7.72	21.80
2022	14.64	10.33	10.16	9.10	7.24	7.18	20.40
2021	13.93	9.73	9.36	8.27	6.70	6.66	19.07
2020	13.08	9.21	8.77	7.72	6.28	6.24	17.91
2019	12.04	8.55	8.05	7.07	5.76	5.73	16.80
2018	11.12	7.96	7.42	6.50	5.31	5.28	15.72
2017	Data not available
2016
2015

Vietnam’s Food Segmentation by Sales Channels 

Vietnam’s food market has shown a consistent shift toward online channels, though offline channels remain dominant. From 2018 to a 2026 forecast, offline sales consistently held over 96% market share, with revenue from offline channels rising from $58.89 billion in 2018 to a projected $104.11 billion by 2026. In contrast, online sales are slowly increasing, moving from $0.42 billion in 2018 to a forecasted $3.44 billion by 2026. This gradual growth reflects a broader shift in consumer preferences, with online channels steadily capturing a small but increasing portion of the market as digital adoption grows in Vietnam.

Segmentation by Sales channels market data

Year	Offline channels (billion USD)	Online channels (billion USD)
2026 (forecast)	104.11	3.44
2025 (forecast)	97.03	2.80
2024	90.16	2.31
2023	82.98	1.87
2022	77.47	1.58
2021	72.25	1.47
2020	68.38	0.83
2019	63.49	0.51
2018	58.89	0.42
2017	Data not available
2016
2015

Search Trends for Emerald Jewelry in Vietnam

In this section, we analyze the search trends for the following keywords

Keyword

Banchan Hàn Quốc: Korean banchan 

Món ăn kèm: Side dishes

Keyword explanation

Banchan Hàn Quốc: In Korean cuisine, “banchan” refers to small, diverse side dishes served with rice and the main meal. Banchan includes dishes like kimchi, pickled vegetables, and stir-fried greens, adding a range of flavors and textures that complement the main course.

Món ăn kèm: This term refers to accompaniments that enhance main dishes, like pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and small salads. These side dishes provide freshness, balance, and contrasting flavors to the meal.

Top 45 monthly keywords searched

Based on the keywords above, this list also includes keywords that Google has determined to be related. There are 45 keywords related to Korean banchan. 

Keyword	Monthly search volume
thực phẩm đông lạnh nhập khẩu	110
chuyên cung cấp thực phẩm đông lạnh	110
sản phẩm đông lạnh	50
cty đông lạnh	50
hàng đông lạnh nhập khẩu	50
korean banchan	50
bề bề đông lạnh	40
cung cấp thực phẩm đông lạnh	30
cung cấp thịt đông lạnh	30
công ty xuất khẩu tôm đông lạnh	30
danh sách công ty nhập khẩu thực phẩm đông lạnh	30
chế biến cá thu đông lạnh	30
công ty sản xuất thực phẩm đông lạnh	20
công ty xuất nhập khẩu thực phẩm đông lạnh	20
nhập khẩu thịt đông lạnh	20
bề bề bóc nõn đông lạnh	10
chế biến bề bề đông lạnh	10
cty thuc pham dong lanh	10
các công ty cung cấp thực phẩm đông lạnh	10
các công ty nhập khẩu thịt đông lạnh	10
công ty cung cấp hải sản đông lạnh	10
công ty cung cấp thịt heo đông lạnh	10
công ty cá đông lạnh	10
công ty nhập khẩu gà đông lạnh	10
công ty nhập khẩu thịt đông lạnh	10
công ty nhập khẩu thực phẩm đông lạnh	10
nhà cung cấp thịt heo đông lạnh	10
nhà cung cấp thực phẩm đông lạnh	10
nhà cung cấp tôm đông lạnh	10
nhà phân phối thịt đông lạnh	10
nhập khẩu thực phẩm đông lạnh	10
thuc pham dong lanh nhap khau	10
đồ đông lạnh nhập khẩu	10
công ty cung cấp thực phẩm đông lạnh	10
thực phẩm chế biến đông lạnh	10
chế biến thịt cua đông lạnh	10
chế biến thịt ghẹ đông lạnh	10
cung ứng thực phẩm đông lạnh
công ty sản phẩm đông lạnh
nông sản đông lạnh
cung cấp banchan
mua banchan hàn quốc
banchan chế biễn sẵn
banchan ăn liền
mua món ăn kèm hàn quốc

Overall keyword trends, including related keywords

The keywords being searched are categorized as follows:

1. General frozen products: Keywords that include “đông lạnh” (frozen) and “banchan”.
2. Specific frozen products: Keywords that include specific products being frozened, such as “thịt” (meat), “tôm” (shrimp), “hải sản” (seafood), and “cá” (fish).

Each keyword category’s number of keywords, total monthly search, top 3 most searched keywords in each category and their monthly search volume are as follows:

Keyword category	Number of keywords	Top 3 searched keywords	Total monthly searches
General frozen products	20	thực phẩm đông lạnh nhập khẩu (110); chuyên cung cấp thực phẩm đông lạnh (110); korean banchan (50)	540
Specific frozen products	19	bề bề đông lạnh (40); cung cấp thịt đông lạnh (30); công ty xuất khẩu tôm đông lạnh (30)	280

Key points:

• The “General frozen products” category has a significantly higher total monthly search volume (540) compared to “Specific frozen products” (280). This suggests a broad interest in general frozen food items, likely driven by a wide range of potential uses, rather than specific items like meat or seafood.
• The presence of “korean banchan” (50) among the top searches in the General frozen products category suggests growing curiosity or demand for Korean-style frozen side dishes in the market. This insight could guide suppliers to consider diversifying their product offerings with Korean banchan and other related items to attract this audience.
• In the Specific frozen products category, the top searches such as “bề bề đông lạnh” (frozen mantis shrimp, 40) and “cung cấp thịt đông lạnh” (frozen meat supplier, 30) indicate targeted interest in seafood and meat, suggesting that these items are particularly in demand within the frozen product sector.

Brands with high brand awareness through search keywords

No specific brand name is associated with frozen food or Korean banchan searches. This suggests that users are more interested in the product type and origin (imported, processed) rather than specific brands when searching for these items. 

Digital communication strategies of major web players

Definition and target of major web players

Here, major web players are companies that appear in Google search results for the keyword ‘Korean banchan’ and have their own websites.

The target companies are the following three companies.

• The Kimchi
• Tèobokki 
• Totomart

The Kimchi’s digital communication strategy

What is The Kimchi? 

THE KIMCHI is a premium kimchi brand launched in September 2021 in Vietnam. Their kimchi is handcrafted by passionate Korean chefs, using only the freshest vegetables from Da Lat farms and 100% fresh fruits (pear and apple) for natural sweetness. They avoid chemicals and preservatives, ensuring their products are made on the same day as the order for optimal freshness and flavor.

Pages where The Kimchi uses advertising

The Kimchi operates a website, but it is currently not set up for Google Ads.

First view

The key visual of this webpage prominently showcases a promotion for ‘Banchan & Kimchi’ with an enticing offer of ‘1K,’ indicating a significant discount. Below, vibrant images of fresh vegetables, prepared kimchi, and other dishes highlight the quality and freshness of the products, accompanied by text that emphasizes these attributes. The overall layout features a clean, modern design. Beneath the banner, the company’s values and mission are clearly presented.

Global menu

The global menu of the website is streamlined and easy to navigate, located at the top of the page. It includes the following key sections:

• The Kimchi: linked to homepage.
• Sản phẩm (Products): This is the product section where users can explore the various offerings of kimchi, banchan, and vegetables.
• Blog: Articles and news related to kimchi, and Korean cuisine.
• Liên hệ (Contact): The contact section makes it easy for users to reach out for support or inquiries.

Product introduction

The “Sản phẩm” (Products) section organizes items into several categories, including Kimchi, Banchan, and Korean vegetables. This section features a clean, simple layout with clear product names and prices. The Banchan page showcases a diverse array of Korean side dishes, from yellow pickled radish (củ cải muối vàng) to sweet and sour green chili (ớt xanh chua ngọt). When clicking on a specific product, users can access detailed information, including the dish description, ingredients, usage and storage instructions, and expiration date.

Web user’s goal

The page features various calls to action. Customers are encouraged to subscribe to the company’s newsletter by submitting their email address at the end of the page. Various contact options—such as phone, Zalo, and email—are conveniently displayed on the right side. Additionally, store information, including the address and working hours, is provided to help users plan their visits.

Simplified UX diagram from the relevant page on the The Kimchi site

Users can explore a variety of products on the product line page. They can make inquiries via phone, chatbot, a contact form, or by visiting The Kimchi’s stores. For online purchases, customers can enter their delivery information and choose their preferred payment option to complete the transaction on the website.

Tèobokki’s digital communication strategy

What is Tèobokki? 

Tèobokki Store offers the most popular Korean foods. They sell retail to young cooking enthusiasts and wholesale to restaurants and eateries across the country. They take pride in keeping up with trends, providing new dishes that young people enjoy.

Pages where Tèobokki uses advertising

Tèobokki operates a website, but it is currently not set up for Google Ads.

First view

The homepage of tteokbokki.vn does not feature a central banner; instead, it presents a wide range of categories for users to explore. These include sections dedicated to specific types of products, such as Korean noodles, sauces, and snacks. The layout is organized into product categories.

Global menu

The global menu is organized into various categories, ranging from specific types of Korean products to information about the company, including their story, store list, and bulk purchase offers for customers.

Product introduction

This product page from Tèobokki Store features a variety of banchan (Korean side dishes) available for purchase. It includes options such as pickled radish, ginger slices, sesame leaves, and pre-packaged dishes like kimchi and other fermented or preserved vegetables. The page displays pricing details for each item and includes a filtering tool for availability and price range. Additionally, it promotes some of the most popular items in the category.

Web user’s goal

The product page includes CTAs like ‘Quick View’ and ‘Add to Cart’ buttons for each item, as well as a price and availability filter for easier browsing. It also offers purchase options on other marketplaces, such as Shopee and ShopeeFood. Additionally, the page provides customer support details in the footer to assist with any inquiries, encouraging a smooth shopping experience.

Simplified UX diagram from the relevant page on the Tèobokki site

Users can explore various products and learn details such as their origin, benefits, ingredients, expiration date, and usage instructions. Customers can add items to their cart and proceed to payment. Different hotlines are available for specific requests, including inquiries about purchases, bulk orders, complaints, and delivery options.

Totomart’s digital communication strategy

What is Totomart? 

Totomart is a store specializing in the wholesale and retail of popular Korean ingredients and seasonings, such as kimchi, spicy noodles, and tteokbokki. Their store is located in Ho Chi Minh City.

Pages where Totomart uses advertising

Totomart operates a website, but it is currently not set up for Google Ads.

First view

The website features a vibrant ‘Hot Summer’ promotion with Korean food products, including Haidilao hot pot ingredients. Navigation is clear, with icons for categories like kimchi, tokbokki, snacks, and beverages, while promotional banners highlight popular items such as spicy noodles and dumplings. The design showcases bright colors and food imagery within a packed layout.

Global menu

The global menu includes the Homepage, Introduction, Products, Gift Basket, Contact, News, and Sales Promotions. The top menu also features contact information, working hours, and access to the shopping cart. Below, a left-hand sidebar showcases product categories such as Korean kimchi, tokbokki, snacks, seaweed, and noodles, allowing users to easily explore specific types of food items.

Product introduction

This product page highlights a variety of Korean banchan (side dishes) such as stir-fried squid, pickled garlic leaves, and vegetable sets for grilling. The layout is clean, with the main product listings in the center and a left-hand sidebar for browsing categories like snacks, drinks, and cooking ingredients. The page also features sections for special offers, featured products, and bulk supply options.

Web user’s goal

Each product features ‘Add to Cart’ and ‘Quick View’ options. The sidebar provides quick-access links to various product categories, while the ‘Featured Products’ and ‘Bulk Supply’ sections promote special deals and larger purchases. At the bottom, the footer contains helpful links for customer support, contact information, and store location and policies.

Simplified UX diagram from the relevant page on the Totomart site

Users can explore various products on the product line page and make purchases directly on the company’s website. Support is available via phone, email, social media, or in-store visits. Links to the Return Policy, Privacy Policy, Shipping and Delivery Policy, Payment Methods, and Terms of Service are also provided.

Summary

All three websites effectively showcase their diverse product ranges. Except for Totomart, the other two companies provide detailed information about their products, including benefits and usage recommendations. All three websites also feature e-commerce functions.

Regarding the origin of products, The Kimchi promotes its own products, emphasizing the high quality and freshness of its ingredients. The other two companies are retailers that distribute and supply Korean products from various brands. 

Regarding potential target customers, it can be assumed that while all three companies focus on individual consumers, Teobokki and Totomart also target bulk buyers. This is evident as, except for The Kimchi, the websites of the other two companies clearly display information for bulk supply orders, demonstrating their capacity for B2B business. Additionally, Teobokki and Totomart have clear policies for purchases and returns, which The Kimchi does not feature on its website.

All three companies provide clear contact information, including email addresses, phone numbers, and store locations, allowing customers to reach out with inquiries or for support.