21 MEMBERS ’ CORNER
PHILIPPINE RETAILING
BLENDED RETAILING IS THE FUTURE OF COMMERCE
The unpredictability of the pandemic is compelling more and more enterprises to adopt Ecommerce while keeping their brick-and-mortar stores open to satisfy consumers ’ in-person shopping needs at the same time .
With COVID-19 health restrictions lowered to level 1 in March 2022 , it ’ s now business as usual for commercial establishments . While masks are still on , more people are dining out or shopping at retail outlets ; this has allowed retailers to regain lost patronage and income . From the temporary closure of 65.9 % of enterprises after the first ECQ , the PRA in January 2022 has since projected a 10 % increase in the retail industry ’ s sales . However , with surges and new variant cases , how can businesses sustain this progress ? Statistics show that Ecommerce may be the answer .
In February 2022 , Statista reported an increase of 4.4 Million more Filipinos who shop online and an added $ 3.4 Billion USD to the country ’ s total annual spend on online consumer goods . These numbers are expected to grow further , with consumers enjoying the speed and convenience of online shopping , and entrepreneurs benefiting from digitally tracking their products and reaching more customers online . With this , Statista projects an increase of the country ’ s Ecommerce annual revenue of 4.8 Billion USD in 2020 to 10.3 Billion USD in 2025 .
The exponential rise of these numbers mean one thing : the future of commerce is changing . The migration of commercial establishments into the digital sphere was merely necessitated by the pandemic , but these developments and successes within the world of Ecommerce reveal that to sustain revenue and customer engagement , retailers must go online . With the Philippines being the second-most populous country in Southeast Asia , the Department of Trade and Industry and the Digital Pilipinas Movement believe that embracing this shift may potentially make the country a technological leader of SEA in the future .
Do all these mean the demise of the physical store , however ? Not quite . A survey concludes that consumers want both the ease of online shopping and the camaraderie of in-person shopping . This compels companies to adopt omnichannel strategies where a blended or “ phygital reality ” makes it possible for consumers to shop online and in-store , and PLDT Enterprise ’ s digital solution Multistore is one platform that makes all this possible . More information can be found here .
https :// www . bworldonline . com / corporate / 2021 / 08 / 10 / 387946 / retail-industry-pushes-back-recovery-projections / https :// opengovasia . com / digital-roadmap-to-boost-philippine-e-commerce-industry / https :// www . manilatimes . net / 2022 / 02 / 18 / business / top-business / omnichannel-as-a-strategy / 1833317
ARGO / SQUAD : WHAT ARE WE UP TO ?
Life was never the same since everything in the world seemed to pause in March 2020 . Who would think that thriving during the pandemic season is even possible ? However , the story might be different for ARGO / SQUAD – who managed to survive and thrive during the pandemic . How ? Let ’ s find out .
During the peak of the outbreak , we made the bold move to become a comprehensive e-commerce enabler rather than just build e-commerce sites . It sprang from our customers ' need for a complete e-commerce solution to help their businesses survive and develop during those trying times .
Apart from completing the necessary components to become an e-commerce enabler – from digital marketing to payment gateways and logistics – Argo / SQUAD saw a need for an entry-level website build for small and medium businesses . Argosmart is the smartest approach to launch an e-commerce site . This user-friendly subscription service provides business owners with full support from an e-commerce enabler as well as a working website with best-in-class features for as little as P15,000 .
Argo / SQUAD will continue empowering retailers to succeed . We continue to explore for ways , products , and solutions to fulfil the market ' s demands now that we ' ve found our spot to play and thrive . E-commerce is here to stay despite any disruption .
It was difficult for companies to navigate their priorities in a volatile and disruptive environment during the pandemic . Budgets were slashed with e- commerce development initiatives being the first to go . However , some forward- thinking businesses prioritized e-commerce , albeit at a lower cost . Argo / SQUAD surpassed the hurdle by working closely with our customers through a variety of solutions and goods that matched their e-commerce journey . Even in an apparently hopeless and static scenario , new chances can be found . You only need to have the right perspective to give you a head start .