6 RETAIL NEWS CAPSULE
PHILIPPINE RETAILING
Watsons Philippines in collaboration with Plastic Bank commits to lessen plastic waste in our oceans
Contributing to Watsons Philippines ’ Sustainability Program is its partnership with Plastic Bank . Together they foresee a future with lesser plastic waste and livelihood opportunities for coastal communities .
Plastic waste is a big problem for the environment and humanity in general : Every minute , one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into the ocean . If this continues unabated , there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans in 30 years . Sadly , the Philippines is one of the top 3 contributors to this plastic problem .
Sustainability has always been part of the Watsons DNA . Recognizing that the ocean stores a quarter of CO2 from the atmosphere and up to 93.4 % of heat caused by the greenhouse effect , Watsons is committed to reducing the overall impact of its own brand plastic packaging so that it may contribute to ocean protection . The A . S . Watsons Group has banned the use of microplastics in its own brand of rinse-off cosmetics or personal care products since 2014 . By the end of 2019 , this ban has been extended to all brands so no rinse-off cosmetics or personal care products from any brand are sold at any Watsons stores .
Watsons Philippines offers its customers four Sustainable Choices : Clean Beauty ( mindfully created products without “ unwanted ” ingredients ), Refill and Reduce ( refilling bottles and reusing containers ), Better Ingredients and Better Packaging . Through its Impact Program Collaboration with Plastic Bank , the health , wellness , and beauty retailer will continue to Do Good for the Oceans by
Photo from : The Manila Times
committing to the prevention of 50,000 kg of plastic bottles from entering the world ’ s oceans – the equivalent of 2.5 million bottles over the first 12 months .
Source : Lifestyle Inquirer
Meta , formerly Facebook , is reportedly planning retail stores as it pushes into metaverse
Meta , formerly known as Facebook , is discussing opening its first retail stores as it looks to break into the metaverse , according to The New York Times .
The stores , which have no slated opening date , will allow the company to showcase devices like virtual reality headsets and teleconferencing gadgets that allow people to video chat through Facebook , the Times reported . It would be the social media company ’ s first physical store .
News of the company ’ s vision comes about a week after Facebook changed its name to Meta . It said it ’ s shifting focus to building a virtual world or metaverse where users can socialize , work and play . The retail plans , which The Times said could be scrapped , indicate Meta is in need of a real-world presence to showcase what it can do in the virtual world .
The company sells several products that it could let customers try in person . Its Oculus Quest virtual reality headsets , which will be rebranded Meta Quest , could give people a chance to see its vision for a metaverse before they decide to buy . The company also sells Facebook Portal video chat devices , which are being rebranded Meta Portal . Both have already been sold in some retail locations like Best Buy .
Meta has come under fire in recent months after a former Facebook employee leaked documents to Congress and the media that revealed the company is aware of several issues with its platforms but chooses to ignore or not resolve them .
Meta is reportedly planning a flagship store for Burlingame , California , where it has an office for Reality Labs . Before the name change , the company reportedly settled on calling its retail locations the “ Facebook Store .”
Companies like Apple have found success in retail stores , and Google recently opened its first location . Microsoft ditched its retail locations last year to focus on its online store .
Source : CNBC