MerryMart brings expansion to big horizontal communities

The supermarket chain of tycoon Edgar “Injap” Sia II is expanding into the country’s major master-planned developments via a new eco-friendly format.

Sia’s MerryMart Consumer Corp. announced on Friday the signing of a 15-year lease contract with property giant Ayala Land Inc., which will pave the way for the opening of its retail outlets Nuvali in Laguna and Cresendo in Tarlac.

These standalone eco-friendly stores will be a new format “ intended for locations in sprawling horizontal communities.”

“The MerryMart Group is glad to have the opportunity to soon serve and delight consumers around the vast community developments of Ayala Land,” Sia said in the statement.

The supermarkets will feature rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient LED lighting, bicycle slots and provisions for electric car charging.

The format will carry the full line of grocery, pharmacy, personal care and other basic essential products, the company said.

MerryMart Nuvali will span more than 2,200 square meters while the Cresendo outlet will have about 2,000 square meter of retail space.

The expansion was in step with Sia’s plans to meet their “Vision 2030” goal and reach 1,200 stores and generate P120 billion in group-wide consumer sales. The MerryMart group now has 105 branches nationwide.

Profits in the first half of 2022 nearly doubled to P32.24 million after revenue reached P2.87 billion, up by about 56 percent.

MerryMart said earnings benefited from new pharmacy chain acquisitions such as Carlos SuperDrug and Cecile’s Pharmacy.

It expects to “exceed” the P5-billion revenue mark in 2022, according to Sia.

Meanwhile, the company launched the MM Wholesale app, which offers next day delivery services within Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The app will feature more than 5,000 products and will be integrated with the company’s inventory system.