Burma (Myanmar) Retail

Burma’s nascent retail sector still provides room for U.S. brand entry. Burma’s retail sector accounts for approximately 15 percent of the country’s GDP. Leading modern retail chains in Burma include City Mart Supermarket, Market Place, OCEAN Supercenter by City Mart Holdings Limited, Capital Hypermarket by Capital Diamond Star Group, and AEONorange Supermarket by Creation Group. Most outlets are in Yangon, the business capital, with a handful in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw. Grab & Go (290 outlets) by Capital Diamond Star Group, ABC (100 outlets) by abcMIB group, City express (60 outlets) by MCS Co., Ltd, and 1 Stop Mart by 1 Stop Mart Holding are some of the leading small-scale convenience stores.

Some best-selling U.S. food products are apples, potato chips, cereals, cookies, frozen fries, coffee, and wine. Some potential products include fruits such as cherries, berries, and grapes, dairy products, frozen and processed meat, dried fruits and nuts, and snacks. Burma’s food processing sector mainly provides instant noodles, cooking oil, confections, coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, and processed meats.

In 2021, new retail outlet openings slowed dramatically across the country compared to 2020, with some locations closing entirely due to the inability to cope with declining profits and rising expenses such as rent. In 2022, retail store business plummeted, with almost no new outlets opening in 2022 due to import issues and increased operational expenses. With many people and businesses enduring economic instability, retail in Burma is not anticipated to rebound until the end of 2022 at the earliest. Before doing business in Burma, visit www.trade.gov/burma for the latest updates on sanctions, export controls and the investment climate for Burma.

For assistance with Burma Consumer Goods Sector, U.S. exporters can contact the U.S. Commercial Service Department at office.burma@trade.gov