Alfamart targeting condo dwellers with Viceroy McKinley store opening
Alfamart is partnering with Megaworld and other developers to expand their operations into more vertical developments.
Alfamart, the first and only super minimart in the Philippines, is aiming to expand its presence in more vertical developments with the recent opening of its store at The Viceroy in McKinley Hill, Taguig City.
“We’ve been working with SMDC these past few years to serve the needs of their residents,” said Alfamart Philippines COO Harvey Ong. “We are encouraged by the regular feedback we receive from the residents of SMDC developments that we have branches in. They are very happy with the convenience brought about by having a super minimart, with all the essential groceries they and their families need, right at their doorsteps. Now we are excited to be collaborating with Megaworld Corporation, and we look forward to serving their developments, starting with The Viceroy.”
“We at Megaworld welcome the opening of Alfamart’s newest branch here in our McKinley Hill township. With its complete and wide range of products and accessible location, Alfamart will bring added convenience to the residents and employees in McKinley Hill,” said Estaban Cabanos, general manager, McKinley Hill.
Alfamart hopes that this partnership will lead to more branches being opened in other condo complexes and buildings.
Alfamart is a joint venture between SM and Alfamart Indonesia and currently has over 1200 super minimarts in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and the National Capital Region. It has also been recently honored at the Asia Leader Awards 2021 for its continued growth and ongoing efforts to achieve their goal to uplift communities through a service-oriented business mindset.
Japanese optical chain Owndays opens in Okada
From Japan to the Philippines, optical chain OWNDAYS opens its 56th store in Okada, which is the world’s only Japanese-owned integrated resort.
These two valuable brands team up to provide a unique optical experience to their customers.
OWNDAYS boasts of its simple and quick price system. The price of the frame is already inclusive of ultra-thin and multi-coated lenses regardless of the grade at no additional charges. Prices are very flexible and can accommodate your budget as it ranges from 1,990-6,990.
What sets OWNDAYS apart is that it has wide stock lens option and uses state-of-the-art machines operated by skilled and reliable opticians so you can get your eyeglasses in as fast as 20 minutes. Consumers can also choose from more than 1,500 styles of high-quality frames from basic and conservative to more fashionable and stylish looks. One can be sure that accurate prescription lenses will be provided as you will be checked by licensed and trained optometrists.
All the eyeglasses displayed in the shops are original brands that have been planned, designed and manufactured by OWNDAYS. They have a variety of unique brands ready to meet the diversified needs of men and women of all ages. Central to OWNDAYS is quality, ensuring each piece passes the strict standards followed by the global brand. OWNDAYS. Simple. Quick Valuable.
SM bags multiple awards
SM Investments Corp. (SM) took home three awards conferred by Hong Kong-based Alpha Southeast Asia magazine.
In the recent 11th Institutional Investor Corporate Awards 2021, SM received the nods from some of the 502 individual investors and analysts who voted to clinch the following recognitions: Most Organized Investor Relations, Best Senior Management Investor Relations (IR) Support, and Strongest Adherence to Corporate Governance.
The company topped two out of the three categories by garnering the highest number of votes for the Best Senior Management IR Support, the 7th consecutive year for SM and Strongest Adherence to Corporate Governance, its 8th year. For the Most Organized Investor Relations, this is the 10th year SM received this award.
SM Investments consultant for Investor Relations and Sustainability Timothy Daniels said the awards are especially meaningful this time around, considering the challenges every industry has faced with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woman Leader of the Year
Malayan Insurance Co. Inc. vice chairperson Yvonne Yuchengco has been named “Woman Leader of the Year” at the 2021 Asia Insurance Industry Awards.
Yuchengco said We Women, a gender-based solution that addresses the insurance needs or requirements of women for protection, was instrumental in clinching the title.
In partnership with the International Finance Corp. (IFC), Malayan Insurance program co-formulated Stela (Simply The Easiest Live Assistant) Solutions. Stela is a suite of insurance products that help women deal with various life stages.
“Through We Women and Stela Solutions, we empower Filipinas to take charge of their finances, futures, and overall wellbeing,” Yuchengco said.
Yuchengco also spearheaded a series of gender sensitivity workshops for Malayan employees and agents to empower Filipinas further and create a safer and gender-sensitive society.
SBA selects BJMP as CSR beneficiary
Sterling Bank of Asia (SBA) has selected San Juan City’s Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) as one of this year’s beneficiaries of their annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, the Kind Heart Gives Campaign.
Persons deprived of liberty (PDL) of San Juan City’s BJMP showcased their craftsmanship in their parol-making project, which also serves as an opportunity for them to support themselves and their families financially. The “parol,” which is one of the most iconic symbols of Filipino Christmas, is a staple decoration in most houses.
Telus volunteers
Some 12,500 students in public elementary schools were the happy recipients of 20,000 learning and hygiene kits to support their continued education through the efforts of TELUS International Philippines’ team member volunteers.
Distribution to 17 schools across Metro Manila and Iloilo was completed recently in support of the Department of Education Brigada Eskwela Program’s “Bayanihan para sa Paaralan,” which rallies partner organizations like TELUS International Philippines to support the educational needs of the community.
From 2014 to date, TELUS Days of Giving initiatives in support of DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela program have touched the lives of about 347,500 student beneficiaries in 24 schools. Over 14,800 team member volunteers have collectively donated 69,800 hours to the success of the program.
Strategic partnership
EnterPH and Creative Zone, a leading business setup company based in Dubai, have partnered to provide a platform and advice to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and investor-seeking startups to enter the United Arab Emirates and expand their business in other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
Aside from enabling Philippine startups to expand in Dubai, Creative Zone also offers entrepreneurs start-to-finish business solutions they need to establish, sustain and grow their businesses, including assisting in investment opportunities.
Their mainstream business services include tax and accounting, legal, concierge, insurance, and even co-working options.
With the help of EnterPH, Creative Zone hopes to ease the business setup process by removing the complexity and holdups from the entire course of the journey.
Chatime expands via Shell
Chatime recently forged an agreement with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. with the launch of the 1st Shell Mobility Station in Acienda Silang in Cavite, making Chatime the first beverage brand to have a presence in what is dubbed as “Site of the Future” in the Philippines.
Chatime brings to the Shell Mobility Station in Acienda, Silang its core drinks, such as the signature and widely popular, Pearl Milk Tea. The partnership now opens up over 1,000 potential Chatime locations.
Chatime continues to open new stores despite the pandemic, adding 21 branches to their network since March 2020.
Shell Philippines plans to launch around 60 to 80 mobility stations a year, on top of converting/renovating existing sites. Chatime hopes to capture about 20 to 30 of those per year in the beginning,
Reaching the unbanked
Homegrown fintech startup NextPay, a digital financial solutions platform, has partnered with local online-to-offline (O2O) payments provider Ayannah to allow its customers to disburse funds to unbanked recipients.
The partnership enables small businesses to send money to their employees, suppliers, and customers through almost 10,000 partner remittance centers nationwide. NextPay users may send money to a single individual or do batch disbursements to several recipients.
Senders may use the NextPay platform to disburse funds to recipients. Funds can be claimed from almost 10,000 branches of remittance centers nationwide.
Disbursement through remittance centers cost as low as P5 per transaction.
