Author: admin

Philippines bans
 single-use plastic 
in all government offices

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MANILA, Philippines – Single-use plastics will now be banned in all government offices in the country, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In a statement issued Monday, the DENR said the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) has approved Resolution No. 1363, series of 2020, banning “unnecessary” single-use plastics.

It covers national government agencies, local government units, and all other government controlled-offices.

The resolution directs the DENR to “prepare and implement” the ban on single-use plastic products, including cups less than 0.2 millimeter in thickness, drinking straws, coffee stirrers, spoons, forks, and knives.

The ban also covers “labo” or thin and translucent plastic bags, and thin-filmed sando bags lower than 15 microns.

“The NSWMC resolution is a major step to curb the use of single-use plastic items that pollute our waterways, kill marine life and contribute to our country’s increasing solid waste,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who chairs the NSWMC, said.

The DENR will come up with specific guidelines for the implementation of the plastics ban, which forms part of the government’s “solid waste avoidance and minimization strategy,” according to Cimatu.

DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGUs Concerns Benny Antiporda, meanwhile, defended the NSWMC for initially including only eight single-use plastic items in the ban.

“It was the decision of the NSWMC to come up with a balanced judgment on the use of single-use plastics by taking into consideration that we can only ban those that have available alternatives,” said Antiporda, who is also the alternate NSWMC chair.

He cited Section 29 of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which provides that “‘non-environmentally acceptable products shall not be prohibited unless the [NSWMC] first finds that there are alternatives which are available to consumers at no more than 10 percent greater cost than the disposable product.”

The NSWMC is an inter-agency body under the Office of the President mandated to oversee the implementation of solid waste management plans and prescribe policies to achieve the law’s objectives.

It is composed of the DENR, the Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Trade and Industry.

Its members also include the League of Cities of the Philippines, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Philippine Information Agency, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and representatives from the recycling and manufacturing/packaging sectors.

Read original article: https://www.untvweb.com/news/barangay-tanods-turn-over-philippine-cobra-found-in-vacant-lot-to-denr/

DTI: Safe to hold nationwide mall sale amid coronavirus outbreak

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) — The nationwide shopping sale in the Philippines will push through in March despite safety concerns due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Wednesday.

He said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is working with the Tourism and Interior Departments to ensure the safety of the public in these populated areas, adding precautionary measures such as proper handwashing and cough etiquette should be practiced.

“These are practices that are really encouraged. Definitely we should be back to normalcy when we have to go out we have to do our regular business and encourage just to maintain the growth, momentum we have. We should not worry on the COVID-19. Precautionary measures lang ang kailangan (There’s no need to worry as long as we use precautionary measures),” he told CNN Philippines.

The Philippines is set to hold its first month-long nationwide shopping mall sale to attract local and foreign tourists to promote domestic tourism. This is seen to bring in revenue for businesses to help the tourism slump caused by the imposed travel ban and aviation fears.

“We basically just tried to attract more activities, more events at the malls and essentially to address the declining tourism revenues so instead of foreign tourism as you know is affected by the COVID 19, we’re promoting more domestic tourism,” Lopez said.

The Department of Tourism is mounting different activities to promote local tourism. It is working with the office of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring him to the country’s major islands.

In February alone, the country is expecting to lose P14.8 billion in tourism or a total of P42.9 billion in revenue if the travel ban on China, Hong Kong, and Macau lasts for three months.

Read original article: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/2/19/Nationwide-mall-sale-coronavirus.html

Int’l retailers continue to flock to PHL

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INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS continued to flock to the Philippines last year, eager to sate Filipinos’ appetite for new brands and restaurants, according to a report by the local unit of real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

In its January report entitled “How Global Brands are Shaping the Metro Manila Retailer Landscape,” Cushman & Wakefield Phils., Inc. said 34 new foreign brands entered the country between January and November 2019. This brought to 102 the total number of international brands that have set up shop in the Philippines since 2017.
“One of the segments that are directly benefiting from the sustained growth of the Philippine economy is the retail sector. Evidently, amidst a slowdown in retail activities in other parts of the world, foreign retailers continue to venture and thrive in the local retail scene,” it said.
Most of the new brand entries are mid-tier food and beverage (F&B) retailers, Cushman & Wakefield noted.
Among these are American brands such as Shake Shack, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Panda Express, as well as Japan’s Menya Kokoro, FRNK, and Shari Shari Kakigori House. Taiwan’s The Alley, Hong Kong’s Hui Lau Shan, and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Crab also recently set up shop in the country.
“With competition, reinforced by the advent of strong concepts… the food services market remains attractive to international brands attributable to the country’s ideal demographic make-up,” Cushman & Wakefield said.
Data from Cushman & Wakefield Research showed food and beverage brands accounted for 68% of new brands that entered the Philippines from January to November 2019, followed by clothing and apparel brands at 15%.
The Philippines has also attracted a growing number of Asian retailers, particularly from Japan (17 brands) and Singapore (12 brands).
“Asian brands are strengthening their grip in the food services industry as they focus on bringing F&B concepts in the market,” Cushman & Wakefield said.

MORE MALLS

International retailers are eager to take advantage of the Philippines’ continued economic growth, young population, growing middle class, improving ease of doing business and booming tourism, Cushman & Wakefield said.
Also, shopping mall space is projected to hit 9.8 million square meters (sq.m.) in 2022 through expansions in the so-called Bay Area that covers Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque. As of the fourth quarter of 2019, the supply of mid- to high-end malls in Metro
Manila stood at 8.9 million sq.m.
“The expansion of shopping mall developments in the Bay Area is also in response to the vibrant real estate activities brought about by the rapid growth of real estate demand coming from the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) and the IT-BPM sectors,” Cushman & Wakefield said.
Monthly rent in key malls in Metro Manila is also relatively cheaper than its regional peers at $48 (about P2,440) per sq.m., Cushman & Wakefield said. To compare, monthly mall space rent in Indonesia is $70 per sq.m.; $127 per sq.m. in Thailand; and $165 per sq.m. in Vietnam.
Moving forward, Cushman & Wakefield said it is important for retailers to continue innovating to remain relevant, offering various activities in shopping malls.
“The strong economic fundamentals of the Philippine economy are seen to sustain the growth trajectory of the major demand drivers of the retail sector. The local retail scene will also continue to defy the global retail headwinds… as the Filipinos see retail establishments to be more than a place to shop. Shopping centers in the country had become essential structures also for socialization, leisure, and entertainment,” it said.
“However, the challenge would be on how the retailers will be able to keep up with the increasing competition with new concepts incessantly being introduced in the market and how they can satisfy the increasing complexity of consumer preferences,” it added.


Read original article: https://www.bworldonline.com/intl-retailers-continue-to-flock-to-phl/

Instacart sees 2020 as ‘as the year of grocery pickup

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Enhanced Instacart Pickup service now live at 1,500 supermarkets in 30 states Instacart is doubling down on click-and-collect online grocery service with an upgraded Instacart Pickup product and a nationwide rollout to retailers by the year’s end.

To support the expanded grocery pickup business, San Francisco-based Instacart on Tuesday named company veteran Sarah Mastrorocco as general manager of Instacart Pickup, a newly created position.

Currently, Instacart Pickup is available at more than 1,500 stores in 30 states through over 50 grocery retailers, including Albertsons, Publix Super Markets, Wegmans Food Markets, Schnucks Market, Price Chopper, Gelson’s Markets, Shop ‘n Save and The Fresh Market. Plans call for the service to be live at supermarkets in all 50 states by the end of 2020, Instacart said.

“2020 is the year of pickup. For our retail partners, we’ve seen Instacart Pickup become a gateway to growth in a margin-thin industry,” Instacart President Nilam Ganenthiran said in a statement. “Our pickup product is also becoming a significant revenue contributor for our retail partners, growing customer basket size by an average of 15% and accounting for an average of 20% of a retailer’s total Instacart store sales.”

Instacart said its “reimagined” pickup product has launched gradually at grocery retailers in recent months and is now available across the United States and Canada. Among the key new features is Smart Storefronts, which enables customers to view
delivery and pickup options from one digital storefront for each of the grocers they shop on the Instacart platform. As a result, users can now toggle between delivery and pickup options to see the latest inventory by store and compare time windows for both.

The updated Instacart Pickup also facilitates collecting after clicking. Pick Your Pickup Mapping functionality allows customers to view and choose the pickup location most convenient to their route that day, such as when coming from home, work, soccer
practice and elsewhere. In addition, customers can now enable location-based notifications, known as On The Way Alerts, to let their store know when they’re on the way and getting close. That allows in-store shoppers to be ready and waiting for
Gelson’s has expanded its partnership with Instacart to add pickup to all of its store locations.

“At Gelson’s, Instacart Pickup is an integral part of the way we’re evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers, who appreciate the flexibility and affordability that comes with a curbside offering. We recently expanded our partnership with Instacart to add pickup, in addition to delivery, across 100% of our store locations,” said John Bagan, chief merchandising officer at Encino, Calif.-based Gelson’s Markets. “With this new partnership, customers can now have groceries and household essentials as well as beer, wine and spirits ready for same-day pickup. While still early days, Instacart Pickup is growing double-digits for us quarter over quarter, making it clear how much our customers value — and have come to rely on — this new experience.”

Other new Instacart Pickup features include customized navigation, which sends customers to the mapping app of their choice to automatically direct drivers from their current location to the store. Users, too, can now share their order details with friends
and family to designate another driver for an order pickup. Instacart added that it’s also continuing to expand alcohol pickup service, currently offered via 20-plus retail partners, including Aldi, BevMo!, Publix, Save Mart, Sprouts Farmers Market and Wegmans.

“We first partnered with Instacart to bring Cub stores online with delivery in 2015 and, based on the overwhelmingly positive customer response, last year we expanded ourInstacart partnership to include pickup across nearly 100% of the Cub store footprint,” according to Darren Caudill, senior vice president of sales, merchandising and marketing at Minneapolis-based Cub Foods. “Cub Foods customers are shopping online more than ever before, and having a seamless pickup experience is an important part of the digital offering we’re building for those loyal customers. It’s also been a boon for our business. We’ve seen our pickup business double in the last three months alone.”

Instacart said it’s launching pickup service at hundreds of stores monthly and expects to more than double the number of locations offering the service this year.

“Instacart’s broader business continues to grow at an incredible clip, with pickup as our fastest-growing product,” noted Ganenthiran. “With the completed rollout of the new Instacart Pickup and the appointment of Sarah as our new GM, we’re laying the groundwork now to prepare for another year of triple-digit growth. By year-end, we expect to have the largest pickup retail footprint in North America and, in the coming years, to grow Instacart Pickup into a multibillion-dollar business.”

In her new role, Mastrorocco (left) will work with partners across the Instacart organization to oversee and scale the fast-growing pickup operation, the company said. She joined Instacart nearly six years ago as the first member of the business
development team and then served in various leadership posts in such areas as catalog and account management. Most recently, she was vice president of business development. Before coming to Instacart, Mastrorocco was a member of PepsiCo’s
Global Operations Group, working on direct-store delivery operations in North and South America, and served on Frito-Lay North America’s strategy and M&A team.

“As we’ve come to understand the massive growth opportunity ahead for this product, it made sense to deepen our commitment to Instacart Pickup and grow our team to prepare for a year of expansion and innovation in the space,” Mastrorocco told
Supermarket News. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this work — which is powered by a very talented group of people, including product managers, machine learning engineers, data scientists and operations researchers — to better serve the pickup business and deliver more innovative products for customers.”

Instacart Pickup debuted at a handful of retail partners in 2018, and last year Instacart doubled the number of retailers and tripled the number of states offering the service. Mastrorocco reported that pickup accounts for 20% of a store’s overall Instacart sales within four to eight weeks of the service’s launch.

“Today, we have more than 350 grocery and retail partners on our marketplace, and more than 50 of those now offer pickup as an option. That’s a lot of green pasture to power pickup for our industry,” she said.

For consumers, online grocery pickup is a natural evolution from home delivery, Mastrorocco added. “The growth we’re seeing is rooted in what we’re hearing from our customers. Consumers are in the driver’s seat more so than ever, and pickup gives
them one more highly flexible and affordable option to choose from,” she said. “Whether they’re doing their weekly shop, stocking up with pantry essentials, or shopping for a special recipe, people love being able to choose how to get what they want.”

On the delivery side, Instacart’s service is available at nearly 25,000 stores in more than 5,500 cities in the U.S. and Canada, serving over 85% of households in the U.S. and more than 70% of households in Canada.

Read original article: https://www.supermarketnews.com/online-retail/instacart-sees-2020-year-grocery-pickup

Complaints swamp some shops as QC says goodbye to plastic bags

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MANILA, Philippines — Ready or not, Quezon City shoppers have bid adieu to plastic bags.

Since the start of the year, customers have been unable to avail of plastic bags at Type 1 retailers like supermarkets, department stores and pharmacies that used to provide bags for a P2 fee under a 2012 city ordinance.

An amendment to that ordinance passed in October last year, however, instituted a total ban on plastic bags, now in full swing despite complaints that the local government did not provide enough time for residents and business owners to adequately prepare for it.

“We weren’t that prepared because we were only told of the ban about a week before its effectivity,” said Lai Santos, a supervisor of cashiers and baggers at a large supermarket. “It was a big adjustment and we expected there would be lots of complaints.”

It was the same story at another supermarket in the city, where cashiering supervisor Janica Valencia said they, too, were informed only a week before the end of 2019.

They had to move quickly to put up signage “as required by the ordinance” that advised shoppers of the ban and encouraged them to bring their own eco-bags. She also had to ensure they had a sufficient supply of paper bags, which were allowed for now but would also be banned in 2021.“Some of our customers still preferred using plastic bags especially for wet products, or they couldn’t afford to buy eco-bags,” Valencia said. “So some were angry at first about the ban. There were some who were shouting, ”˜Why aren’t there plastic bags?’”

She added that they had tried to conduct a pilot test of the ban before the effectivity date, but because they were informed only in December “the peak season for grocery stores” the idea was ultimately abandoned.

Pep talk

Santos, on the other hand, said they gave cashiers and baggers a pep talk on how to handle the inevitable complaints from customers.

There were some shoppers, she added, who had accused them of implementing the ban to promote the sale of their in-house eco-bags.

“When we say it’s a city ordinance, and its purpose is to save the environment, then they understand,”she said. “But some of them really are just surprised by the ban.”

Quezon City Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department officer Vincent Vanarao told the Inquirer that in the meantime, they were on “purely observation” mode and had yet to deputize enforcers to issue tickets to violators.

However, he said that based on inspections, establishments had so far been compliant.“Actually, it was the retailers who clamored for a ban on plastic bags,” he added. “So their reception to the ordinance has been OK.” Councilor Dorothy Delarmente, the ordinance’s author, previously said the city government had proposed an increase in the fee for plastic bags before retailers suggested the total ban.

The P2 fee had gone into a “Green Fund” that the city was currently collecting from retailers. Vanarao said they expected it to total about P300 million, which would go into a trust fund for environment-related projects.

Read original article: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1209767/complaints-swamp-some-shops-as-qc-says-goodbye-to-plastic-bags

ERIC POIRET’S 30 YEARS

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This is it! I have completed 30 years in retail. 3 decades have passed and yet I still have the same passion, enthusiasm, and dedication of my early days.

I was hired 31 years ago as a section manager and since have climbed the ladder to take some top management roles. It was a long way but every step of the way produces a new set of lessons to ponder upon and apply in the workplace. It was a continuous learning – both from experience and from the people I get to work with. 

Though my positions in the past were not short of excitement and fulfillment, there was a deep desire in me to build my own company and work with different individuals who can grow with it. And thus, my very own company came to be. Until now, I still can’t believe that it was already 10 years ago. 

There are definitely days when it felt like my efforts are futile. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop me from persevering. Despite the difficulties, I knew even back then that it will be worth it. When all else seems failing, I go back to the reasons that fuel me to remain dedicated to my profession and in this industry. Allow me to share them with you:

Retail is a people dependent industry. I like to see myself as a leader that places his team at the center of his decisions. I always go back to the time that I was hired by my first retail employer. I was pre-selected on the basis of my football experience as a midfielder among other criteria. Like in football, retail is an industry where you succeed and fail as a team. 

Retail is a very transparent and unbiased industry when it comes to results. Your main stakeholders, the customers, are a fair judge to your business decisions – rewarding you for the good ones and sanctioning you for the bad ones. 

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Retail is also an industry where every day is a fresh start – the challenge comes on a daily basis and success or failure could never be definite. My personality wanted and needed the constant call to push harder, even if it would mean starting from scratch every single day. This is considered a norm in this industry and I believe this deeply affected the culture of hard work and perseverance that I practice even up to this day.

Since we restart every day, retail is a very busy industry. It is common to be on the go every day yet still find the day too short to finish every project on your plate. Though it is energy consuming, there was never a dull moment. The level of productivity is always unquestionably high and even after years of working, the amount of accomplishment that hard work and dedication can do still surprises me. 

Though others would perceive retail as an industry of numbers, I believe retailers are in fact very creative people. It’s an industry that encourages you to let go of your imaginations without the fear of being blamed. In the best retail companies, initiatives are encouraged and rewarded. After all, every good retailer knows that change is an inevitable process: it is better for the company to chase these changes than getting caught up by it. 

Retail is an industry of the people and for the people. There are numerous offers – vertical and horizontal job opportunities. Moreover, professionalism and efforts to be better are recognized and encouraged. Retail values meritocracy and this pushes people to perform better and more so, transcend their limits. 

And lastly, I believe that it is an industry where you find mentors and people you love working with. What I am now, after 3 decades of working in this industry is a product of many people I worked for and worked with. 

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I know that in a perfect world, everyone would be in love with their work. But we are not in a perfect world and for this reason, I value the privilege of being able to do what I am most passionate about. I am not a special person but I know that I, together with my team, can always transcend into a sphere of different possibilities. Working together to gain more trust from our customers. 

Despite all the amazing things I mentioned above, I would be lying if I say I never even once thought of giving up. Like most industries, retail is also very demanding of time, effort, and energy – whether physical or mental. It gets exhausting too. Getting older has made me more cautious about the time and more mindful of quality moments spent with the family. But despite all these, I am still very enthusiastic about the years to come and opportunities that will arise.

During my youth, I was dreaming to become a professional football player. I probably lacked the skills to embrace this career. Nevertheless, I am happy about where I am now. There was never regret about my chosen career and could not expect a better situation work-wise.  

WHY NOT SERVING YOUR CONSUMERS IS ACTUALLY SERVING THEM: A CASE OF RETAILING IN JAPAN

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It is not a secret to everyone that the key to getting as many customers as possible is understanding everyone’s constant quest for convenience. This goes to say that a retailer’s main priority is to make sure that the business is accessible to every consumer at any given point of time and that the transactions are not just easy but fast. But more than the demand for convenience, some consumers are also doing their part to assure the efficiency in their transactions. Moreover, collective consideration and shared responsibility among consumers show a promise of faster retail and further convenience for everyone. 

Japan had been known worldwide as a country offering convenience and efficiency. Through innovative business solutions, big or small, Japan is becoming more and more a benchmark for every retail market in the world. Customer service is the language of every retailer. Japanese consumers are also known to be one of the most unforgiving in this aspect. In a survey conducted by American Express International, 57% of Japanese respondents answered that they immediately stopped or never went back to an establishment after just one bad incident. Since Japanese consumers are willing spenders, one customer lost already means bad business. 

Though convenience can be seen in every nook and cranny of Japanese retail, Japanese culture also suggests a shared responsibility and consideration towards everyone. In this regard, a person new in Japan can notice even the smallest practices that Japanese normally observe. 

For one, most restaurants practice the “claygo” method or clean-as-you-go. Every customer is obliged to clean up their own tables after using it and take their trays and used utensils in a designated counter. This doesn’t only help the staff by reducing their work, but this also lessens the waiting time to be seated in a vacant table as it’s ready for use once the customer stands up. Additionally, it is also considered normal for every supermarket to have its area designated for packaging as customers are also obliged to do it by themselves. More so, there are self-check-out counters where customers can scan, pay, and pack their own purchases. These are some of the reasons why you will almost never fall on queue in every supermarket as transactions are fast and efficient.

Japanese-Consumers-Self-packaging

On a rainy season, you will normally see plastic dispensers outside establishments encouraging everyone to cover their wet umbrellas to avoid it dripping inside. This will not only give the staff less mess to clean, but this will also help avoid any accidents due to slippery floor. A trash bin is also available outside to assure the proper disposal and recycling of these plastics. This is considered a very simple practice but it has considerably good benefits both on the business and the consumers.

Umbrella-Plastic-Dispenser-in-Japan-1

Recently, hotels in Tokyo are equipping themselves with unmanned reception counters where guests can check-in and check-out by themselves. Machines have cash slots and change dispensers as well as POS terminals to accept card payments. It is also complete with passport scanners to record details of the guest. Once all check-in procedures are done, the guest can choose between a card or pin code to get access to their respective rooms. Check-out, on the other hand, is done in very few steps and no checking of rooms is required before doing so. The trust that business establishments are placing on their clients is also being reflected by the honesty that is embedded deeply in Japanese culture. 

Receipt-and-information-dispensed-by-the-machines

Most people who went to Japan will talk about the level of convenience that every store or restaurant gives its people. Albeit, the level of responsibility that people also practice is another notable factor than can be attributed to Japanese culture. This is probably unique in Japan but foreigners who were not exposed to this culture had no difficulty in adjusting and doing it as well; they even found the benefits in doing so. Though obviously a factor, cultural differences will not be an enormous hindrance for other countries to start on these practices too. Convenience is definitely the language of retail but educating consumers is another angle that retailers need to look into to make a more beneficial, more convenient, and more efficient relationship with its consumers. 

ALASKA NATIONAL SALES CONFERENCE 2019

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Alaska-Corporation-National-Sales-Conference-2019
ERE’s chairman – Eric Poiret, served as a resource speaker for Alaska Milk Corporation’s National Sales Conference 2019.

Eric Poiret – ERE’s CEO and chairman had recently been invited to Alaska Milk Corporation’s National Sales Conference 2019 as a guest speaker. The event was held in Waterfront Hotel Cebu last February 19, 2019.
Eric acquired his retail expertise in his thirty years of retail chains management in the Gulf Region, Asia, and France. During the event, he imparted his knowledge with Alaska Executives on the recent trends that will help shape the future of retail. For Eric, one of the key qualities that a retailer must have is to always be one step ahead by anticipating and closely observing what is happening in the market.
Another key takeaway during the event is the retailer’s expectations from their suppliers. Eric keenly developed and explained what these expectations are and why it is important for manufacturers and suppliers to take them into consideration. These would all be in pursuit of achieving a common goal among everyone operating in the retail industry which is to provide consumers with a better experience, more customer-centric services, and innovative ideas that will make shopping not only easier but more fulfilling.
He ended his presentation by emphasizing the value of coming and working together. As cliché as it may sound, it had been proven effective for so many years. The power of a focused and determined person may be formidable, but every successful individual knows that a goal is better achieved by people sharing a joint responsibility.

ANOTHER ANGLE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

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ERIC POIRET

I would like to take the opportunity of this writing to wish you a very good 2019.

I am sure that the economic trend and lessons taken from the previous year about managing inflation will be favorable factors to the success of your plans and different ventures.

I had the opportunity to travel to France during the holidays. During my stay, I visited a lot of supermarkets and hypermarkets, two favorite French retail formats.

We have been hearing a lot of news about the degradation of the French economy and the action and impact of the gilets jaunes on the business during year end. This is probably true but I also saw a lot of customers in the stores buying profusely for the celebrations period.

I was impressed by the volume of merchandise available, the quality of the displays and the modernity of the concepts. Stores are not driven by a real estate approach, selling space to suppliers. You hardly find a brand signage, it is very clear that the store belongs to the retailer.

The goal which is selling more and more items to more and more customers is extremely felt in the outlets. The economic model is mainly based on volume sold. Quantity on display is not questioned and the depth of the range is not compromised, proposing a wide selection of regional products. Promotional displays for every end cap are massive with a large yellow signage, very often hand written. Dedicated discounts for loyal customers are available for each category.

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Fresh displays are also impressive through volume, range, display quality as well as freshness of the products that transpires everywhere in the area. Stores are obviously equipped to maintain the cold chain. Street market ambiance is being preserved. We commonly say that we buy with our eyes, this will be held particularly true in the Fish, Delicatessen and Cheese sections. Similarly, you can hardly resist to the smell of the bread and “viennoiseries” section. You will also be amazed by the wide offering of pre-packed fresh food, so convenient for every family size.

Services proposed by retailers are convenience oriented. The “drive” concept (your order and pick goods) is largely developed. Customers are also now used to self-scanning options. Electronic labels are on every shelf, guaranteeing price accuracy.

We could argue that the French food culture is unique, the climate very favorable to Freshness, the hypermarket concept that started in 1960 is already mature: these are all true.

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However I see this concept as an opportunity for inspiration in many ways. It starts with the principle of the concept: complete control approach by the retailer instead of being real estate oriented or vendor oriented, risk taken on the stock and promotions, commitment to promote regional sourcing, creating a sense of authenticity for the customers, specifically but not limited to the fresh sections. True and large benefits granted to loyalty card holders.

Advanced technology is only brought to enhance the customer’s shopping experience. Most of the solutions for faster payment are based on trust. Are retailers ready to give it to customers? Should the focus be on the process to progressively educate the customers?

With the online business development, physical stores are actually challenged. There is a trend to reduce big boxes assuming that a part of the business is and will be taken online. Convenience stores or smaller grocery formats are also seen as a threat. But in reality, they catapulted to growth as they occupied the space not covered by larger formats.

In fact, I see the size concern differently for the food retail business, particularly in countries wherein the size has been commonly compromised. Based on my experience, larger size stores with well-chosen locations provide retailers the opportunity to entirely express their commercial concept, and most often become the flagship(s) of the retail chain with a very superior sales level and an enviable profitability over time.

This might be perceived as counter trend but the “applicability” of the trend is a question of maturity in the retail business. Let us take this new year as a chance to seize the true opportunities awaiting us in the retail industry!

WHAT RETAILERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MILLENNIALS

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Millennials on the past years have gained the spotlight in the society. Though their sphere of influence had been around for quite some time, getting familiarized with them is still a tedious job at hand.

According to the Labor Force Survey, Filipino Millennials accounts to 47.1% of the total workforce in 2015. With this data, it would be easy to conclude that Millennials will be a bigger and bigger determinant in decisions that every retailer should make. But in order to fully capture the attention of Millennials might be a little tricky as they are more diverse hard to predict compared to their predecessors. It is worth considering that in order to understand their spending behavior, it is important to know the factors that pushes them to make their purchases.

Spending habits of Millennials

Make-sure-that

Getting used to the purchasing behavior of millennials can be challenging. For one, the factor that pushes them to decide to buy a certain service or product can be highly subjective. Millennials have a knack to purchase anything that would make them feel good and important than others. It is highly imperative for retailers to make sure that the products they are selling are always in the best possible condition and the shopping experience is memorable for the consumers. Millennials are after experience that will make them a star of their social media accounts. Most of the time, the purchases that millennials make are for validation that they are having a good life, or in a more millennial term, completely “instagrammable”.

Millenials

Another common behavior that can be observed among the said age cohort is their maturity in making their purchases. Millennials are always tagged as “Smart Buyers”. This is a good connotation most especially if you belong to the age group. Yet smart buying is not intrinsic among millennials. This could be reflected on the factor that the current situation is pushing millennials to be wiser in spending their hardly earned money. It is important for retailers to take this factor into consideration to make sure that the products and services they are selling to this age group will always be worth the price, or better yet, make consumers feel like they are getting more than what they paid for.

It can also be noted that Millennials are keener to pay for experiences than material objects. The number of traveling agencies have grown dramatically over the past years and the rising inclination to travel also distinguishes Millennials from its predecessors. Again, traveling can come as a self-gratification that you are getting more than what you paid for. Experiences and memories are intangible and it cannot be measured by durability, taste, or appearance. Anything that can give you a sense that you’re getting something that cannot be measured keeps Millennials – and even other generation to be on their feet traveling and seeing the world. Retailers are not blind to not see this trend. Most companies are coming up with branding strategies that can capture travelers. Such as coming up with freebies that would come in handy while traveling, making travel-size packaging, using flight tickets as prices to certain promos and other travel-related marketing strategy.

Millennials are more diverse

In order to successfully market to millennials, it should be accepted that they are a diversed group. The interconnectedness brought about by technology and social media gives the millennials the space to freely express their varying opinions and beliefs and feel totally fine with it. In fact, in the present time, being different from a pack is not frowned upon like in the past and respect for other’s opinion and preference is highly encouraged.

To cater to multi-faceted millennials, retailers should always tailor-fit their services and brands that could accommodate specific segments in the society instead of the usual generality in the demographics.

Interconnectedness among Digital Savvy Millennials

As previously mentioned, Millennials are digital savvy individuals interpolating technology to communication and self-expression. They use the digital platform not only to communicate with the people they know but also to express themselves to other people, whether they are the ones they know on a personal level or not. Needless to say, more and more people are populating the online world nowadays. Retailers had been quick to recognize this. Though e-commerce is not a new concept, it continues to innovate each year by coming up with a more convenient way to sell products and services, as well as becoming more consumer-centric.

It is important for retailers to gain presence or start on being recognized in the online platform. This is proven to be a very effective medium of communicating with consumers as well as boosting the company or the store’s reach.

Are millennials completely taking over?

It is a highly contested topic whether millennials are completely taking over or not. Some of their predecessors are still in the workforce and are still making a significant percentage of population in the market with high purchasing power. Though it is imperative to be prepared with the rising influence and number of millennials, it would be a fatal mistake to disregard other generations. The past generations are the ones with more dispensable income to spend and retailers should always keep that in mind. The best advice would always be to be prepared on whichever medium a consumer would choose to use as well as be prepared on whatever generation your prospect customer would belong to. The current situation calls for retailers to be more flexible than ever in order to cater to their consumers’ demands.