Online sales: 'Unlucky profession'?

But the market always has a harsh rule: after hot growth comes a period of screening and only those with the capacity to standardize operations can survive for a long time.

For those who are screened, it is an "unlucky" job. At this time, many online sellers are falling into an "unlucky" situation.

The elimination that is happening with e-commerce platforms in Vietnam is proof of the law of elimination.

More than 55,000 stores left e-commerce platforms in the first half of 2025; compared to the same period in 2024, the number was up to more than 80,000 shops, according to statistics from the Metrics platform.

There are many reasons listed to explain the "ill-fated" career of online sales.

Just a few years ago, a merchant opened an online shop and easily earned hundreds of millions of dong per month.

Now, the whirlwind of competition, operating costs and strict requirements from the floor have forced the "amateurs" to leave the game.

Demands on delivery speed, product quality, and price competition have made this channel no longer as "easy" as before. And sellers who want to survive must comply with regulations on taxes, product quality, and service commitments.

However, market elimination is not necessarily a negative signal, it is also a sign that an industry is maturing. Why?

The phenomenon of a profession "blooming early and fading quickly" is no longer strange. The technology-based ride-hailing market has witnessed a series of drivers withdrawing when the model was forced to comply with the legal framework on income tax, the commission rate was no longer "dreamy" like in the early days, and there was competition in terms of road knowledge, competition in the number of trips...

The insurance industry once boomed with a "team" of housewives, students working overtime, retirees...

But then this force quickly "disbanded" when gaps in financial knowledge and consulting capacity of "amateur" consultants led to a crisis of confidence in the market.

Regulators are forcing companies to tighten training and licensing standards. “Insurance consultants now only hire people with financial training,” said a sales manager at an insurance company.

The common point here in all these industries is that they all go through a roadmap.

First, the market exploded freely when the new model appeared, the law had not yet been adjusted, and the barriers to entry were low.

Then the market falls into a saturation phase, fierce competition, "newbies" lacking resources and skills are gradually eliminated. Finally, the market enters a standardization phase, brought into a legal framework.

Looking back at the process above, Vietnam’s e-commerce is in the middle of phase two and three. Small retailers who cannot meet the requirements of inventory management, order processing, after-sales service and advertising costs are struggling to survive.

On the contrary, large sellers, who are strong in finance, operations and brand, become the pillars of the platform, and at the same time, shape new standards for the entire market. Inevitably, the market must move towards standardization.

Standardization is not only in state management but also requires businesses to standardize and "do big business" such as applying standards on warranty, return, traceability, personal data protection, tax obligations...

These standards will make the "game" more and more professional, forcing participants to switch from the "left-handed" and "earning extra" mindset to a real, systematic business model. The purification rule will not stop at e-commerce.

In the era of the economy 's constant movement, new industries are emerging at a "stormy" speed, from artificial intelligence content creation, influencer marketing, to industries making money on cyberspace, sharing economy...

They all go through the same cycle. The early birds may win big, but only those who upgrade their capabilities, follow the standards, and adapt to the rules of the game will survive in the long run.

And so, if you follow the rules of the game and improve every day, online sales is not necessarily a "fated" profession.