Family-owned business in Batangas turns 25, gives back to loyal customers

Leading the festivities of the supermarket’s silver anniversary are sisters Carlene Go-Sy and Cheryl Anne Go, who both serve as vice presidents of Citimart to continue their parents’ legacy of service.

MANILA, Philippines—In the thriving city of Batangas, a family-owned business has become the household name in providing various consumer goods: Citimart. The 25-year old enterprise has been successfully providing Batangueños with groceries, clothing, food, medicines, photo-printing services and even start-up capital for small businesses. With five branches located strategically all over the city and a branch in Oriental Mindoro, Citimart is unrivaled in providing topnotch retail experience in the Southern Tagalog region.

On its silver anniversary celebration, Citimart paid tribute to its loyal patrons through fun activities held recently at the Citimart Bay City Mall on Burgos Street. The lively crowd was treated to free samplings and cool prizes courtesy of Citimart’s suppliers, while hunky actor Derek Ramsay made a surprise appearance that doubled the excitement of the eager crowd.

“We feel very happy for accomplishing 25 years of service in the business,” said Carlene Go-Sy, Citimart vice president for marketing. “Not all companies are able to attain such a feat, which is why we are very thankful to all the Batangueños who helped us along the way. Our silver anniversary celebration will be all about them, about how we can give back and continue making them a part of our growing family.”

Retail stalwart in the making

Citimart traces its roots to humble beginnings. On June 6, 1986, enterprising couple Felie and Carlito Go put up a simple store to answer the needs of Batangueños. Established along Rizal Avenue, the first Citimart supermarket – known today as Citimart Shop-On – was born.

Not only did Citimart provide the people with their basic needs, it also helped Batangas City’s retail industry flourish by pioneering the self-service format of supermarkets, just like how it’s done in Manila. Prior to this, Batangueño shoppers had to tell the store staff what they needed so it could be procured for them. But with the self-service concept, they were able to take their time shopping and better scrutinize their choices.

The pride of Batangas lives on

Ask Batangueños today and they will have different stories about Citimart being part of their everyday lives. From being the go-to establishment for grocery, clothing, medicine and food, serving as major landmarks in key areas, to being the place where families and friends can spend time together, Citimart has come a long way from its inception 25 years ago.

Currently, their plans revolve around the development and continuous improvement of their services to offer Batangueños a more comprehensive shopping experience.

“We have two types of customers who frequent Citimart, the end-buyers and the wholesalers,” Carlene said. “For them, we will continue offering the best prices to help them get their money’s worth. We will also begin to offer fresh produce as well so that they no longer need to go to the wet market, as Citimart will be their one-stop shop. And finally, we will continue to listen to their suggestions so that we can give them the best service that they deserve—from one Batangueño to another.”

With Citimart’s nonstop dedication and culture of innovation, customers can continue to look forward to more service and shopping milestones that will make their lives easier. (advt)

From the Citimart grocery, the company branched out to include other products and services such as the Citimart Department Store, Citimart Photo, Citimart Drug and Citibaker.