Japanese supermarket operator Saeki Selva Holdings is preparing to enter Vietnam, with ambitions to scale its presence to 100 outlets in the country over time.

According to a Nikkei Asia report, the retailer intends to open its first overseas stores in Ho Chi Minh City within three years, targeting middle-class shoppers.

The expansion will be underpinned by a training programme for workers in both countries, spanning basic store operations through to full store management.

Saeki currently runs 56 stores in Japan, the majority of them in the Tokyo area.

Under the plan, employees will initially spend at least three years learning fundamental store processes in Japan.

Once back in Vietnam, they will undergo further training in store management, product development and other advanced capabilities at Saeki's Vietnamese outlets.

Japanese staff will assist with the early store launches to eventually place Vietnamese employees in charge of local operations.

Saeki senior managing director Kenshi Yamamoto said: “It takes around ten years to train up a person to be a store manager that can handle everything, including managing labour and finances.”

He noted that this timeframe could be reduced if the Vietnam rollout advances more quickly than anticipated, with local staff promoted according to experience.

The initiative comes as Japan prepares to overhaul its technical training scheme for foreign workers from April, replacing the current technical intern programme with a system geared towards training and retaining talent, including mandatory career advancement plans for workers.

Saeki had 138 foreign employees on technical intern or comparable visa statuses as of last month.

In June, the company took on around 20 technical interns, its largest intake so far, the majority of whom are from Vietnam.

Yamamoto acknowledged that the weakening yen, among other factors, has reduced the appeal of working in Japan, which could impact Saeki's efforts to recruit Vietnamese talent.

Saeki president Yukihiko Saeki described the move as “the first stage” of the company's expansion into Southeast Asia, saying it intends “to combine the hygiene management know-how that Japanese supermarkets possess with the local food culture and lifestyle”.