Sun Cellular to open 40 third party-operated stores

MANILA, Philippines - Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., one of the wireless arms of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), is set to open close to 40 new partner-operated retail outlets in different parts of the country this year.

PLDT president and chief executive officer Napoleon Nazareno said the opening of the Sun Shop satellite branch in Sta. Rosa, Laguna is an important milestone for the company as this is the first shop of the completed product portfolio of Smart Communications Inc.

“This is the first shop that will offer Smart and Sun services under one roof.  This is our template for the future. We hope that this combination will enable us to serve our Smart and Sun subscribers in better and more effective ways.

While Smart is venturing on new generation or café type stores for the upscale segment, this joint regional roll-out is geared towards maximizing support for PLDT’s combined market of about 75 million subscribers from Smart, Sun Cellular, and Talk ‘n Text.

“Our business-owned stores are effectively our embassies. And through them, we keep in touch with our customers and help them out when needed.  Our offices are thus a concrete expression of our commitment to serve our customers and the community,” Nazareno said.

Reporting a total of 124 Sun Shops by the end of 2014, Sun Cellular with 124 Sun Shops all over the country as of end last year is projected to unlock even more market opportunities as the need for its economical postpaid offerings and bucket loads continue to arise in the regional landscape.

Smart and Sun Cellular executive vice president Charles Lim said the partnership with third party operators would help the company expand and penetrate difficult areas.

“We are able to combine the strength of Smart and Sun and you will see more and more of this,” Lim said.

Smart assistant vice president for retail partners management Louie de Guzman said the company is looking at opening between 35 and 40 partner-operated stores in different parts of the country this year.

Through this new line of retail outlets called “The Sun Shop Satellite Branch”, Sun Cellular would be banking on commercial partnerships with authorized third-party entities to run retail operations for its mobile service business. These will provide existing and prospective subscribers access to postpaid line applications, bills payment and prepaid transactions for both its 2G and 3G brands, including its mobile internet services.