What Happened
On September 21, 2026, Vietnamese publication Vietnam News reported that total transactions on LazMall—the premium segment of the Lazada marketplace where only official brands sell—grew more than tenfold during the 9-9 mega sale. This refers to a three-day window: the "9.9 Brand Super Sale" campaign started on September 8, 2026, at 8:00 PM and ended on September 11.
The scale is evident from the order structure. According to PR NewsAsia (September 2026), the number of brands entering the "Million-Dollar Club"—a club of sellers with a minimum GMV of one million dollars—grew by nearly 10% compared to the previous 6.6 campaign. In Vietnam, about 76% of all orders on the platform came through LazMall, and in Singapore, 78%. Local publication Báo Công Thương specifies the figure for the Vietnamese market: 77.5% of platform orders. Lazada distributed vouchers worth up to 9 million dong.
An important detail for skeptics: the figures in press releases vary. Vietnam News speaks of "more than tenfold" growth in LazMall transactions, while Lazada's materials for the 2026 Birthday Sale mention "8x GMV Growth of the Top 100 Mall Sellers." This is not a contradiction but different metrics: total segment turnover versus the turnover of the top hundred sellers. But that is precisely why flashy headlines should be treated as marketing, not as accounting reports.
What This Means
The mechanics of Asian mega sales do not rely on discounts alone. Lazada has spent years building infrastructure around three things: strict seller selection for LazMall (only brands with confirmed trademark rights), a predictable calendar of peak dates (1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 6.6, 9.9, 11.11, 12.12), and AI tools like the Lazzie assistant. According to Lazada, during the 6.6 campaign, proactive interactions with the AI assistant increased by 32%, and order volume grew by 43% compared to the previous campaign.
For Russian e-commerce, this means a simple thing: a multiple increase in turnover on peak dates is not the result of one successful campaign but the outcome of preparatory work two to three months in advance. On Wildberries, Ozon, and Yandex Market, the same logic applies, only the calendar is different: 11.11, Black Friday, New Year sales, and marketplace birthdays. A seller who starts preparing for 11.11 at the end of October is already too late: they won't have time to purchase goods, build logistics, or accumulate reviews and ratings to reach the top of search results.
The second lesson is segmentation. Lazada does not grow the entire marketplace equally: it highlights LazMall as a showcase for brands and concentrates traffic and promotional budgets there. On Russian platforms, the equivalent is programs for official sellers and brand showcases. A seller without a trademark has a harder time accessing premium traffic, but in the mass segment, competition is based on price, not brand. Choosing a position is choosing a strategy for the year, not for one campaign.
The third lesson is economics. A multiple increase in turnover can easily turn into a loss if the margin is eaten up by discounts, paid promotion, and platform commissions. In Vietnam, Lazada explicitly stipulates in its 9.9 participation rules the right to exclude sellers for violations, including price manipulation and fraud. Russian marketplaces are following the same path: tightening control over fake discounts and inflated reviews. A seller who builds a campaign on honest pricing and real stock is protected from blocking; one who plays with "crossed-out prices" risks losing their account at the height of the season.
Expert Commentary from VietSmart
I regularly see in operations in Ho Chi Minh City how local sellers prepare for 9.9: a month before the campaign, they lock in stock, negotiate additional logistics slots, and allocate a budget for paid promotion rather than slashing prices to zero on the last day. Our partners from Vietnamese brands most often make one mistake: they think it's enough to offer a 40% discount and wait. In reality, a discount without traffic is just lost margin, because on a peak day, the buyer chooses from the first twenty cards in search results.
If I were a Russian entrepreneur, I would build preparation for a peak date using the Vietnamese template: first demand forecasting and purchasing, then logistics and stock, and only then promotion and price. And обязательно—calculating unit economics for each SKU before the campaign, not after, when the money is already spent.
Conclusions and What to Do
- Lock in the calendar of peak dates for 2026–2027: 11.11, Black Friday, New Year sales, and your platforms' birthdays. Mark the start of preparation 8–10 weeks before each.
- Calculate unit economics for each SKU before the campaign: purchase, logistics, commission, cost of paid promotion, target discount. If the margin is negative after the discount, do not include the product in the campaign—better to lose a impression than money.
- Check stock and logistics: agree with your supplier on a fixed volume for the campaign period, book slots in advance at the marketplace warehouse or fulfillment center. A shortage on a peak date nullifies the entire promotional effect.
- Accumulate social proof in advance: reviews, ratings, product photos and videos. Without them, the card won't reach the top of search results even with a big discount—which is why Lazada focuses on LazMall with verified brands.
- Check compliance with platform rules: certificates, trademark documents, correct crossed-out prices. During peak periods, platforms check violations more strictly, and consequences can include account blocking.
Source: Vietnam.vn dated September 21, 2026