...the emerging retail destination

Time to promote Philippines retail to the world - British retail expert

Malaya Business

Category: Entrepreneur

Published on Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Written by Jennifer A. Ng

 

“The Philippines offers much better value for money than Hong Kong. It has a greater variety of stores than most countries, some of the biggest malls in the world are all in one city. From a retail point of view, the Philippines has a lot to offer, but you don’t tell the rest of the world,” - Ian Wade, Sainsbury

THERE has never been a better time than now to position the Philippines as one of the top destinations for shopping, according to a British retail expert who will deliver a keynote speech during the 22nd National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE) organized by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA).

 

 

Ian F. Wade, executive advisor of sainsbury’s—the second-biggest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, said the Philippine retail scene has many advantages compared to its Asian counterparts.

 

 

“The Philippines offers much better value for money than Hong Kong. It has a greater variety of stores than most countries, some of the biggest malls in the world are all in one city. From a retail point of view, the Philippines has a lot to offer, but you don’t tell the rest of the world,” Wade emphasized.

 

 

Wade noted that five of the biggest shopping malls in the world where affordable and quality products can be sourced are in Metro Manila. “It’s time to promote the Philippines and make people more aware that it has a lot more to offer.”

 

 

The former group managing director/chairman of health, beauty and lifestyle retailer A.S. Watson Group has been visiting the Philippines for the past 27 years. Wade was instrumental in the setup of Watson’s stores in the country.

 

 

“The Philippine retail industry used to be sleepy. It has transformed itself from being ordinary a few years ago to pretty damn good today. Stakeholders are more knowledgeable and more aware of what they’re doing,” Wade explained.

 

 

Wade served as group managing director of A.S. Watson group from 1982 to 2006. Under his leadership, the number of Watson stores grew from 16 to around 7,700 stores, which are found in more than 30 countries worldwide.