Over the past decade, the Philippine retail
industry has been experiencing substantial growth. According to
the Family Income and Expenditure Survey of the NSO, household
spending on food alone reached P786 billion in 2000, up by 26
percent from P624 billion in 1997.
This indicates a lot of promise and
opportunities for enterprising Filipinos who want to open their
own convenience store. Whereas supermarkets usually dominate the
retail market over smaller stores, Sioland Supermarket supports
the small store livelihood by providing quality products at low
prices to help local entrepreneurs get a head start.
Sioland Supermarket marketing manager
Kathleen Sio shares some tips on how to start your own
convenience store: "Research is important in starting any
business. Make sure you know who your customers are, their
spending power and the total amount of sales you can generate
when you open a store. Surveys are a good way to find out," she
said.
Sio is experienced in food retail wherein she
recalls her childhood years learning the ins and outs of the
family business at the supermarket. A graduate of University of
Asia and Pacific, she has been successfully handling the
marketing of the store for the past five years.
"A good location is one that has easy street
access and good parking or has heavy foot traffic. It will help
if your chosen location is a mall, a transportation terminal or
office district to attract a good flow of shoppers," Sio said.
"Find an area with a large amount of potential shoppers. Check
the stability of the economy, which is a good indicator of how
well your business will do. Talk to experts who can help
determine the possibility of success in that community."
For a minimal start-up franchise fee of
P100,000 with a return on investment of 1M investment in 2.5
years, the company can help you put up your own convenience
store. It also provides assistance in licensing, point-of-sale
system, sourcing of goods, merchandising display, hiring and
promotions, and many more.
Golden Gate Supermarket is the city branch of Sioland
Supermarket located at St. Francis Square, Ortigas Center.
