Eagle Eye & Central Retail Vietnam launch loyalty scheme

Eagle Eye has launched a new loyalty programme with Central Retail Vietnam, signing up more than 5.8 million members within months.

Called The 1 Vietnam, it is Central Retail Vietnam's first full-scale loyalty programme in the country after earlier trials in a limited number of locations. It was first rolled out across the retailer's food business before being extended to non-food operations.

Shoppers use a single membership account to access member pricing, collect points on grocery purchases and redeem rewards across a wider group of retail brands. Participating brands include GO! Hypermarket, go!, Tops Market, Supersports, Dyson, Crocs, HOKA, Speedo, Under Armour and KUBO.

The launch adds another layer to a partnership between the two companies that began in 2023 in Thailand and Vietnam. Eagle Eye supplies the technology behind the scheme, including points, promotions, continuity offers and gamified campaigns.

Hybrid model

The 1 Vietnam uses a hybrid loyalty model that combines discounted member pricing with points-based rewards. Shoppers get lower prices on selected products at the till while building up points for later use.

The approach reflects a broader shift among retailers in Southeast Asia as they try to move beyond one-off discounts and towards systems that encourage repeat visits and stronger customer retention. In Vietnam, where consumer spending remains price-sensitive, retailers have been testing how to balance immediate savings with longer-term incentives.

Early activity has included bonus reward points for first purchases at some lifestyle and sports brands, family-focused rewards at KUBO, and member pricing and reward missions at GO! and Tops Market. The programme will continue to expand across Central Retail Vietnam's retail network.

Central Retail Vietnam operates across food, non-food and property in the country. It serves about 500,000 customers a day through more than 300 malls and stores in 26 provinces.

Personalisation plans

The programme has also been designed with more tailored offers in mind as more customer data is gathered. The companies are exploring additional AI-based personalisation tools after a full year of transaction data has been collected, with the aim of building a clearer picture of shopping patterns across seasonal cycles.

That data-led push is becoming more common in retail loyalty programmes, as operators seek to tie discounts and rewards more closely to actual purchasing behaviour. For chains with broad store estates and multiple formats, a single loyalty account can also help link spending across grocery, sports, lifestyle and specialist outlets.

Ton Chirathivat, General Director, Central Retail Vietnam, described the programme as central to the retailer's customer strategy.

"Our vision for The 1 Vietnam has always been to place the customer at the absolute center of our retail ecosystem. The incredible early adoption we've seen is a strong testament to the trust Vietnamese shoppers place in our brands. With Eagle Eye's technology powering this foundation, we are well-positioned to shift from generalized promotions to deeply personalized experiences, ensuring the rewards we offer are genuinely relevant to how our customers actually shop," said Chirathivat.

Eagle Eye said the sign-up rate followed testing of several loyalty structures before launch. Its Head of Revenue, APAC, said the final model was chosen because it combined immediate value with a longer-term reward mechanism.

"Vietnam is a high value-conscious market, so we tested points, member pricing and a hybrid of the two before launch, and the hybrid performed best. The member numbers since the food stores went live reflect that," said Aaron Crowe, Head of Revenue, APAC, Eagle Eye.

"The programme is now being extended across the non-food businesses, and we are working with Central Retail Vietnam on personalization as the data matures," said Crowe.