BACKU.S. retailers are under pressure as labor costs rise and hiring pipelines tighten. Average hourly earnings grew 3.9% year over year as of May 2025, while a cooling job market makes it harder to scale teams internally. But that’s just part of the picture. Persistent skills shortages, seasonal spikes in demand, and consumer caution are all squeezing operational capacity. These challenges are driving a shift toward more flexible, cost-efficient models that support higher output without overstretching in-house teams or compromising quality.
In this environment, Vietnam is emerging as a high-value talent partner. The country’s outsourcing sector is projected to generate US$639.25 million in revenue in 2025, with market growth expected to reach US$808.56 million by 2030. This momentum is fueled by a young, digitally skilled workforce with strong English proficiency, well-equipped to support retail-focused functions.
For U.S. retailers seeking scalable capability and operational resilience, Vietnam offers a strategic edge, blending technical strength with commercial alignment and a proven ability to support global teams.
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Why more U.S. retailers are turning to offshore talent
As labor costs climb and hiring pipelines tighten, U.S. retailers are rethinking how they scale. Offshoring has evolved from a cost-saving tactic into a strategic solution. Here are three key reasons why more companies are turning to offshore talent:
1. It’s no longer just about saving money
While offshoring still delivers significant savings, typically reducing operating costs by 30–60% compared to domestic hiring models, U.S. retailers are increasingly motivated by access to skilled talent. Roles in digital merchandising, technical support, and creative production are becoming harder to fill through local channels alone.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the retail sector reported over 800,000 open positions in 2024, brands are under pressure to find more reliable, long-term solutions. Offshore teams are emerging as a way to scale capability and ease internal bottlenecks, especially as competition for talent intensifies.
2. Offshore teams help streamline operations and reduce internal workload
Outsourcing for retail and eCommerce is increasingly being used to manage operational complexity. Offshore teams help retailers run more efficiently by absorbing seasonal peaks, holiday surges, and campaign-driven workloads.
In retail-specific contexts, outsourcing partners often handle tasks like returns processing, support during flash sales, and multilingual customer service. These teams can scale quickly to match demand, helping reduce the workload on in-house staff so they can focus on more strategic priorities.
3. Access to skilled talent that’s hard to hire locally
U.S. retailers are facing growing difficulty in securing the support talent needed to scale, from digital operations to customer-facing functions. With over 350,000 tech roles needing to be filled annually, and the tech workforce projected to grow twice as fast as the overall U.S. labor force through 2034, the hiring gap is widening rapidly.
Partnering with a trusted vendor in Vietnam can offer access to qualified professionals fluent in English and trained in retail workflows. These offshore teams help brands move faster, support extended hours across time zones, and maintain consistency as digital demands grow.
The new way to scale – Smarter, not just bigger
1. Strategic use of offshore teams for specialized tasks
For today’s retailers, scaling isn’t just about headcount, it’s about building the right capabilities in the right places. U.S. brands are increasingly partnering with offshore teams in Vietnam to manage essential functions across admin, customer support, finance, IT, digital marketing/design, and more.
These full-time offshore professionals integrate seamlessly into daily operations, helping retailers boost capacity, maintain quality, and reduce internal workload. With strong English skills and retail-specific training, Vietnam-based teams offer a cost-efficient way to stay competitive and scale with precision.
2. Supporting 24/7 customer service and operations across time zones
With Vietnam 11 to 15 hours ahead of the U.S., offshore teams can step in as domestic teams sign off, creating a seamless “follow-the-sun” model. For retailers, this extends operational coverage, accelerates campaign execution, and ensures uninterrupted progress on digital initiatives.
Around-the-clock customer support also becomes achievable, improving responsiveness, enhancing service quality, and strengthening overall customer satisfaction
3. Offshore talent powers back-end digital transformation
As U.S. retailers ramp up digital transformation, the demand for execution-ready teams is rising fast. From eCommerce operations to supply chain support, offshore talent now plays a key role in backend growth. Vietnam stands out, offering skilled professionals well-versed in retail systems, workflows, and customer expectations.
Rather than filling short-term gaps, outsourced teams are built for long-term alignment. With deep operational expertise, Vietnam-based talent helps U.S. retailers streamline workflows, enhance service consistency, and scale digital functions with greater agility.
Roles that U.S. retailers commonly offshore today
U.S. retail brands are shifting toward targeted offshoring, building teams in key functions where offshore talent strengthens scalability, consistency, and speed across digital operations. Here are some of the functions leading brands successfully offshore:
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Customer support that strengthens brand loyalty
U.S. retailers are increasingly outsourcing essiatial funtions such as customer service representative, help desk support, IT support, and sales support to ensure consistent, high-quality service across every channel. With dedicated offshore teams handling round-the-clock inquiries, brands can improve response times, boost satisfaction, and uphold service standards that reflect their core values, strengthening customer loyalty in the process.
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Seamless back-office and eCommerce operations
Roles like admin assistant, data entry specialist, and virtual assistant are increasingly handled offshore, lightening the load for U.S. retail teams. This operational support ensures smoother performance during busy seasons and high-volume campaigns, while helping in-house teams stay focused on growth, innovation, and customer experience.
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Digital marketing and design to amplify reach
To stay competitive and conversion-focused, U.S. retailers are tapping offshore talent across key digital positions, from digital marketing specialist, content writer, graphic designer, to SEO specialist and more. These experts help strengthen brand presence, boost eCommerce performance, and ensure campaigns remain timely, data-driven, and competitive across platforms.
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Technology and IT support that keeps systems running
Offshore talent, spanning app developer, full stack developer, QA/QC, cloud engineer, and data analyst, supports the digital backbone of U.S. retail. With hands-on experience across platforms like Shopify, Magento, and modern frameworks, they help optimize infrastructure, enhance security, and ensure eCommerce systems run efficiently at scale.
Why Vietnam is becoming the offshore destination to watch
1. A young, tech-savvy workforce with strong communication skills
Vietnam offers a strong and growing pipeline of digitally fluent talent, well-equipped to support the evolving needs of U.S. retail. With 35% of students expected to pursue STEM-related fields, 18% in digital technology, the country is developing a future-ready workforce skilled in eCommerce systems, data analytics, and digital transformation.
English proficiency is steadily improving, talent are increasingly confident in discussing technical requirements, timelines, and product features, enabling clearer communication and faster alignment across teams. Combined with transparent workflows and tools like Teams or Google Meet, offshore members in Vietnam help keep digital projects moving with clarity and consistency.
2. Competitive pricing with reliable quality output
While Vietnam offers a clear cost advantage, what truly distinguishes it is the consistency and reliability of its outcomes. U.S. retailers benefit not just from competitive overheads, but from offshore professionals who bring discipline to execution, working within structured workflows and placing real emphasis on quality assurance.
This dependable approach accelerates turnaround, ensuring digital platforms and services are delivered to a high standard, ready to scale. The resulting efficiency allows retailers to redirect budget toward innovation, marketing, or enhancing customer experience, driving broader business value beyond simple cost savings.
3. Scalable support across retail operations
Vietnam’s outsourcing strengths go well beyond development. Offshore teams are now a go-to resource for U.S. retailers looking to strengthen customer support, manage eCommerce operations, and streamline fulfillment. These teams bring proven experience across key functions, helping brands deliver consistent service across every customer touchpoint.
During high-demand periods like Black Friday, the holidays, or promotional campaigns, offshore partners in Vietnam enable rapid scale-up without compromising quality. From order processing to timely customer communication, they help U.S. businesses stay responsive and efficient when it matters most.
4. Convenient time zone for working with US-based retail teams
Vietnam’s time zone offers a significant benefit for those who need urgent, round-the-clock support, from customer service to rapid campaign rollouts. Offshore teams often synchronize their schedules with U.S. operations, enabling real-time updates and seamless handoffs.
Being 11 to 15 hours ahead allows American teams to transition projects smoothly to offshore staff overnight, ensuring continuous progress and prompt responsiveness when every minute counts.
Conclusion
As U.S. retailers recalibrate for speed, scale, and efficiency, offshore talent is no longer a short-term fix, it’s becoming a long-term enabler of smarter operations. Vietnam, in particular, offers a compelling pathway forward: a resource-talent rich market that aligns with the demands of modern retail.
From supporting omnichannel growth to easing internal pressure during peak trading periods, Vietnamese-based offshore teams are helping U.S. brands stay competitive and resilient. The retailers embracing this shift aren’t just saving costs, they’re building more agile, future-ready businesses.
Not all outsourcing models drive results, but the right one can transform operations. Explore How eCommerce outsourcing drives efficiency: A complete guide for a clear roadmap to help U.S. retailers build leaner, more resilient operations through strategic outsourcing.
