Written by: Din M. Villafuerte
Asia’s leading health and beauty chain Watsons marked yet another milestone with the unveiling of Watsons North Edsa The Grand, the flagship of its 1,000+ stores in the Philippines. The occasion also celebrated 20 years of Watsons in the country.
Dominic Lai, Group Managing Director of A.S. Watson Group (3rd from left) together with Malina Ngai, Group Chief Operating Officer of A.S. Watson Group (2nd from left), Robert Sun, Regional Managing Director (Asia) of A.S. Watson Group (1st from left), Danilo Chiong, Managing Director of Watsons Philippines (2nd from right) and Jeff Go, Chief Operating Officer of Watsons Philippines (1st from right) at the opening ceremony of the Watsons Philippines 1,000th Store Opening Event
Located in The Block, SM City North Edsa, Watsons’ biggest Philippine store offers an improved retail standard of shopping and brings forth the most extensive array of health, wellness and beauty products
It has been the retail giant’s promise to help its customers “Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great” and it fulfills this by taking into account its shoppers’ evolving needs and lifestyles. Watsons’ flagship store merges convenience, personalization, and accessibility in a one-stop shop for health, wellness and beauty needs.
“Twenty years ago, Watsons decided to enter the Philippine market and open our first stores in SM Megamall and Podium in 2002. Since then, our business has been growing and expanding rapidly. And now we have become the customer’s most beloved retail brand in the Philippines,” said Dominic Lai, group managing director of A.S. Watson Group.
“Today we have double celebrations, not only celebrating the 1,000+ stores but also Watsons’ 20th anniversary in the Philippines. This new flagship store is important in the nationwide expansion in this beautiful country as it’s a clear demonstration of Watsons’ determination to strengthen our connection with customers via seamless O+O platforms. O+O platform strategy is at the core of our business to create an integrated experience, to better serve customers anytime, anywhere.”
O+O is short for Online Plus Offline which integrates Watsons’ physical stores and digital platforms such as the Watsons app to better serve the needs of customers.
“Our long-term partnership with Watsons has realised our promise of bringing the best-in-class health & beauty products to all Filipinos. It’s our pleasure to celebrate this remarkable milestone with Watsons and we will continue to work closely to raise the standard in health & beauty in the Philippines through Watsons’ seamless O+O platforms,” said Teresita Sy-Coson, co-chairman of SM Investments.
Danilo Chiong, managing director of Watsons Philippines, explained that as online shopping and e-commerce evolved from being an occasional luxury to an everyday necessity, the company realized that it needed to elevate its services to serve its customers better. “As a result, Watsons rapidly strengthened its e-commerce capabilities, making digital shopping a much more convenient experience for Filipino shoppers,” he said.
“Everything we do is rooted in how they (customers) shop and who they are,” said Jared De Guzman, customer director of Watsons Philippines. Watsons The Grand has a “Click and Collect” feature that addresses the customers’ love for convenience, where one can shop on the Watsons app and swing by the store to get the purchases in 30 minutes, or even less.
Jared De Guzman, Customer Director of Watsons Philippines
The health and beauty retailer addresses its shoppers’ love for personalization with several exciting elements within the 1,000 sqm space. The Watsons Supplement Finder guides customers to the right vitamins and supplements based on their health needs and lifestyle. The Skinfie Lab is a skin analysis tool that is designed to determine one’s skincare needs, all you need to do is take a selfie. #ColourMe Virtual Makeup Try On, meanwhile, allows you to try on different shades of makeup, from lipsticks and eyeshadows to mascaras and foundation, without having to actually apply it on your skin.
“All of these innovations on technology enable our customers to find the best health, wellness and beauty products for themselves,” said De Guzman.
Ever dedicated to its commitment to the environment and in inspiring Filipinos to live sustainably, Watsons The Grand also shines the spotlight on Sustainable Choices products. “This store has the largest sustainability zone. We dedicated a huge space because really that’s at the top of our agenda,” said Watsons PR and sustainability director Viki Herrerra-Encarnacion.
Viki Herrera-Encarnacion, PR & Sustainability Directorof Watsons Philippines
“We’re using the space to also educate, because customers are saying they need more information,” added Encarnacion. Products at the Sustainable Choices zone are classified into four categories—Clean Beauty, Better Ingredients, Better Packaging, and Refill and Reduce— with easy to understand explanations per category on how these benefit not only the environment but also one’s health and even budget.
The flagship store will also house a Watsons Health Clinic, the first of its kind in the country. “We partnered with The Medical City to come up with a cutting edge teleconsultation device,” explained De Guzman.
A Tytocare gadget will allow the doctor to hear the patient’s abdominal and chest sounds as well as check the ears, mouth, throat and skin. After the consultation, one can even fulfill the doctor’s prescription at the Watsons Pharmacy which is right outside the clinic.
Beyond convenience, medical consultation fees at the Watsons Health Clinic are at half the price, compared to the usual consultation fees at a regular Medical City clinic.
Vaccination services for flu, HPV and pneumonia will be available at the clinic soon.
“It’s very exciting, right? You don’t have to cue in a doctor’s clinic anymore. Come here, there’s a doctor all the time, it’s teleconsultation using these fantastic equipment,” said Encarnacion. “We’re really going the extra mile to give our customers a better experience.”
ADVT.