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

Thai retailer Lotus’s has teamed up with telco True Digital to launch Thailand’s first smart unmanned store, Lotus’s Pick & Go, at the grocer’s North Ratchapruek community centre flagship.

Shoppers may select from more than 400 products, including drinks, snacks, and everyday essentials. To shop at the unmanned store, they must have the TrueMoney Wallet application and a minimum balance of 200 baht.

With the help of True Virgo AI, a smart retail platform, Lotus’s Pick & Go by True Digital aims to transform the store into a fully automated system while also delivering what the companies bill as “a completely new kind of shopping experience for the digital age”.

“Lotus’s is moving forward to develop its business in every aspect to provide superior experiences with the launch of a new branch and renovation of existing branches to better suit customers’ lifestyles in each area,” said Monchai Intarapornudom, senior director of Lotus’s operations development.

“Last year, we opened Lotus’s North Rachapruek, a Smart Community Center prototype as a centre that combines smart living for all generations with Smart Life Solutions, offering products and services that response to the daily demand with community space for various activities in the shopping centre.”

According to local sources, customers can be confident that their data privacy is secured because the unmanned store won’t run by gathering personally identifying information from them, including images of their faces.

Earlier this year, Lotus’s retail store operator, Ek-Chai Distribution System, launched a luxury hypermarket concept brand named ‘Lotus’ Prive’, with the first store opening at mixed-use lifestyle complex ICS.

Original Article: https://insideretail.asia/2023/07/14/lotuss-introduces-thailands-first-unmanned-store-with-true-digital/

7-Eleven is the world’s largest convenience retail banner in terms of revenue and stores, with a global presence across more than 20 markets.

Catering to local needs

While 7-Eleven is well known for its food-to-go and beverage range, its global presence means it and its global franchisees may sometimes flex its format to meet local needs.

This could be a format that solves unmet needs in product range or lifestyle, or one that comes with creative ways to boost store profitability. Here are seven interesting formats worth taking a look at:

MANILA, Philippines — This week, Singapore’s FairPrice teases its fans with a sampling of its award-winning Truffle Chips at its booth at the ongoing Singaporium fair in SM Aura, Taguig.

Its own brand FairPrice Truffle Chips was named the best Retail Product of the Year at the 2023 Retail Asia Awards.

FairPrice Own Brands Food Solutions chief executive officer Grace Chua said that FairPrice Group is looking forward to launching three of its nuts flavors and seven of its potato chips flavors.

“Here in the Philippines, we are looking at launching our nuts and potato chips because hit na hit ito among our kababayans in Singapore,” said Chua at last weekend’s press conference.

“Our FairPrice nuts and FairPrice potato chips are the number one selling in our stores,” she added.

From August 18 to 27, fairgoers can head on to SM Aura’s Main Atrium where the brand’s nuts and chips offerings can be sampled.

By October or November this year, Chua said fans can expect to see FairPrice nuts and chips in leading supermarkets in Metro Manila.

Apart from the Truffle Chips, they are also introducing six other potato chips, namely, Original, Sour Cream, Black Pepper, Cheese, BBQ and Hot &Spicy. These are seven of the nine variants currently offered in Singapore.

As for their nuts, they are offering three of the most basic flavors, namely, Almonds, Cashews and Pistachios.

Chua said that in Singapore, they have 15 to 20 variants of nuts, from macadamia, classic mixed, premium mixed to fruits and nuts.

FairPrice is testing the waters and hoping for a warm reception with the introduction of some of its popular products. As of press time, it said that they are not thinking of opening physical stores like their famed FairPrice supermarkets or Cheers convenience stores.

“We’re planning to expand but we’re not expanding into physical stores. We are not looking into opening supermarkets and convenience stores. We are looking at expanding the accessibility and reach of our products.

“Crowded na rin kasi ang Philippine market. I think everybody is already well-served by the current leaders but we would love to bring our products to the Philippines,” Chua said.

She added that they are currently in discussion as of press time but assured that when their products will be available in Metro Manila, they will not be hard to find.

“Hindi ganon ka-surpresa. Hindi mahirap hanapin. When we launch, you’ll definitely see them in a lot of supermarkets here in Metro Manila,” Chua said.

FairPrice Group was established in 2019 through the formation of four entities that comprise the National Trades Union Congress (NUTC) FairPrice, Kopitiam, NUTC Foodfare and NTUC Link.

FairPrice is the largest grocery retailer in Singapore. It was founded in 1973 by NUTC, a local and social enterprise. In its 50th year, FairPrice has more than 500 touchpoints on the island of Singapore, which includes supermarkets, hypermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores and hawker and food stalls.

Apart from FairPrice brands, the Singaporium 2023 Fair also features other brands such as Kelly’s luncheon meat, Suu Balm skincare and Irvin’s chips.

Original Article: https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/food-and-leisure/2023/08/20/2290091/singapores-fairprice-group-bring-award-winning-truffle-chips-nuts-philippines