<article>Japanese retail group <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/tag/aeon/">AEON</a> has exited its 30 per cent stake in Vietnam-based supermarket operator Fivimart for an undisclosed value.</article>

Japanese retail group <a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/tag/aeon/">AEON</a> has exited its 30 per cent stake in Vietnam-based supermarket operator Fivimart for an undisclosed value.
AEON had announced the acquisition of a 30 per cent stake in Fivimart and 49 per cent stake in another Vietnamese retailer Citimart in January 2015. The transactions had actually been sealed in 2014.
While terminating the capital alliance with Fivimart, AEON will continue the investment in the latter.
AEON said in a statement last month that there was a difference in the direction and strategy of the two companies. The disposal will not have a material impact on the group’s business performance, it added.
Meanwhile, rumour has it that <a style="color: #000080;" href="http://dealstreetasia.com/tag/vingroup">Vingroup</a> is the buyer of this deal. An email query sent to Vingroup had not elicited any response at the time of publishing this article.
On September 25, Fivimart changed its brand identity and stopped using the AEON brand. Its website is also currently under revamp.
The total losses incurred by Fivimart in the 2015-2017 period reached almost VND200 billion ($8.7 million), even as it saw the supermarket chain expand from 10 to 23 stores currently, according to local media reports.
Similarly, Citimart also reported a cumulative loss of nearly VND160 billion in 2016.
After the divestment from Fivimart, AEON’s assets in Vietnam include four shopping malls and the Ministop chain. The Japanese retailer aims to aggressively expand in the country with a pipeline of 20 commercial centres and 500 stores by 2025 to be at par with other businesses, such as Vingroup, Lotte, and convenient store brands like Circle K, Family Mart and 7-Eleven.
Real estate conglomerate Vingroup launched two retail brands in 2014, Vinmart for supermarkets and Vinmart+ for convenience stores.
After real estate and retail, Vingroup has diversified into healthcare, agribusiness, education and entertainment. It subsequently added automobile, smartphone manufacturing, e-commerce and tech businesses to its portfolio. In the retail space, the company has ramped up through M&amp;A, having purchased smaller players Oceanmart, Vinatexmart, Maximark and electronics retailer Vien Thong A.
Also Read:
<a href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/vingroup-vien-thonga-103258/">Vingroup nears deal to acquire Vietnamese mobile retailer Vien Thong A</a>
<a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/aeon-byus-2-vietnamese-supermarket-chains-2465/">Aeon buys into Vietnam’s Fivimart &amp; Citimart</a>

AEON said in a statement last month that there was a difference in the direction and strategy of the two companies. 

AEON disposes of stake in Vietnam's Fivimart, Vingroup said to be the buyer

Bring stories like this into your inbox every day.

Sign up for our newsletter - The Daily Brief

AEON disposes of stake in Vietnam's Fivimart, Vingroup said to be the buyer

Start your deal-making journey now!

Bring stories like this into your inbox every day.

Sign up for our newsletter - The Daily Brief