WATSONS opens its 8,000th store in Asia at the SM Mall of Asia, an occasion so momentous that Filipino singer Regine Velasquez, dubbed Asia’s Songbird, performed in a mall show just for its opening on Nov. 7.
Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of Hong Kong-based AS Watson Group said in a speech, “While we open this store in Mall of Asia for Watsons Philippines, it will be the 8,000th store for us in the whole of Asia.”
“The reason why we have selected the Philippines to mark this very important corporate milestone is that, one, we have an amazing partner in the Sy family,” she said to much applause. Watsons was brought here to the Philippines in 2002 through a joint venture with the Sy-controlled SM Group of Companies. “And, the Philippines is one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia.”
She added, “The Philippines is our largest market in Asia. We have over 1,100 stores already in the Philippines, and we have over 10,000 colleagues working hard every day.”
“Eight thousand represents a vast network that makes our products and services more accessible to customers everywhere. Combined with our O+O (online plus offline) model, we are committed to serving the community anywhere, anytime. Each store creates local jobs, customer loyalty, and strengthens brand trust,” said Ms. Ngai in a statement.
The brand was founded in 1841, and while it has 8,000 stores in Asia, Ms. Ngai noted a total of 17,000 stores are operated by Watsons worldwide.
The new Mall of Asia store has a Premium Beauty zone featuring brands such as innisfree, Clinique, and Round Lab, among others, an advanced skin analyzer, and dermatologist-recommended products. Meanwhile, a Sustainable Choices zone offers a refill station for selected Naturals by Watsons products, along with a wide array of Clean Beauty products. The store has also introduced more self-checkout counters and Click & Collect services, allowing customers to order online and pick up their purchases in-store within 30 minutes.
Teresita Sy-Coson, vice-chair of SM Investments Corp., said in a speech, “It is with great pride that we open the Watsons’ 8,000th store right here in the Mall of Asia. This milestone is a testament to the support of our Filipino customers and the great and fond partnership and collaborations between Watsons and SM.” — JLG
