Retail Spotlight
How the Patriarch of
Home Building Business
Built Wilcon
through the Years
by: Catherine Nanta
Flashback to 40 years ago, the home building
supply market in the country does not offer plenty
of choices in terms of finishing materials.
This challenge was seen by Philippine Retailers Association’s (PRA) 12th Presidential
Awardee William Belo as an opportunity to offer the Filipinos more varieties of home
furnishing brands that are sourced abroad — from tiles, electricals and even various
hardware tools.
Building blocks of Wilcon’s success
Mr. Belo has the makings of a successful entrepreneur through knowing the
opportunities in the market and taking risks to provide these needs to the customers.
But aside from his innovative thinking, Mr. Belo and the entire Wilcon team take
pride in their excellent customer service as a crucial ingredient in making the
business flourish.
With his ingenuity in business management and knack for innovation, his 60-sqm
store in Quezon Avenue back in 1977 has now grown to a 38-branch retail chain
operating nationwide and employing over 4,500 direct employees. He shared in an interview, “As part of our brand proposition, we commit to excellent
customer experience through our well-trained and knowledgeable personnel. The
Wilcon story starts from the moment they enter the store, shop and choose their
items and then check out or ask for delivery. All these are executed by our customer
expert managers, our entry-level managers, even down to the baggers. They all
regularly undergo training, attend refresher courses on customer service, product
orientation and inter-office/employee relations.”
Laying the groundwork Strike while the iron is hot
Aside from seizing the opportunity to get more brands and choices for the
consumers, Mr. Belo also decided to try something new in the hardware business by
opening a second branch of Wilcon, which was not a usual practice among hardware
businesses back then.
He also had his share of adversities such as economic crises and stringent
importation regulations during the 80’s and 90’s, but all these did not stop him to
persevere.
At present, Wilcon offers about 20 brands of ceramic tiles from Europe to Asia and
a wide array of brands and designs for construction and finishing materials which
helped level the competition.
“I very clearly remember a square meter of Spanish tiles in the 70’s was priced at
around P1,300. Nowadays, home builders can buy good quality European tiles for as
low as P700 per sqm,” he shared in one of his interviews.
But while the home building depot imports a lot of is products, Mr. Belo said that
they give priority to local products which they consider as partners. As a proof, one
can see locally-produced materials prominently displayed in Wilcon stores.
As it continues to grow, Wilcon has always been introducing new innovations and
strategies. It was in 2003 when it expanded its 2,000-sqm stores into a depot
format to offer patrons a one-stop shop for their home building and furnishing
needs. Apart from hardware essentials, one can buy furniture, appliances and even
housewares from Wilcon.
It has also introduced some of its house brands such as Heim, House Direct
and Pozzi—which is a bathroom fixtures line typically seen in commercial
establishments like restaurants and hotels.
Side by side its aggressive expansion, Wilcon has also debuted at the Philippine
Stock Exchange last March 31, and as the country’s first IPO for the year, was able
to raise Php7 billion in total pr oceeds on its initial listing.
Mr. Belo’s success in managing Wilcon Depot has earned him the accolade as
“Patriarch of Home Building Retail” in this year’s Outstanding Filipino Retailers
Awards (OFR). Alongside this, Wilcon has also been a Hall of Famer at the PRA’s OFR.
While it continues to unveil new innovations and business strategies, it is worthy
to note that Wilcon endures and remains resilient through times because it values
customers and partners which are essential for success and sustainability.
References: business.inquirer.net, wilcon.com.ph, entrepreneur.com.ph
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