Easy on the pocket

In the next few weeks, Isarog Bus Co., will have a new look for its buses plying the eight-hour Manila-Bicol route. Each air-conditioned bus will be fitted out with 28 specially-made reclining seats instead of the usual 56 upright seats.

The seats are made by Kim Philip Marketing Corp. under the brand name, Easy Boy.

"Isarog ordered 200 seats and they intend to charge their passengers extra for the additional comfort these seats provide. We have also received orders from a dialysis center and from some hotels based in the provinces that are upgrading and refurbishing their suites in keeping with the demands of tourists," said Kim Philip president Antonio dela Cruz.

Key to quickly filling the orders is the basic reclining framework invented by general manager Juanito Ong. A patent for the process has been filed with the Intellectual Property Office.

"Since we opened for business in May 2003, we have produced 900 units. We have already sold 500 units and the remaining 400 units are maintained as inventory that can fill up orders at any given time. We just need an additional day or two to meet customized orders in terms of materials and color used," said Ong.

Advantages

Although only a year old in the marketplace, the research and development needed to differentiate the Easy Boy technology from foreign brands started in 2000.

"I first read about the reclining/rocking chair from lifestyle magazines in 1991. Back then, only a few could afford it and the reclining chair was considered a status symbol. I gave my father one such chair priced at $2,000 at the prevailing exchange rate of P20 to the dollar. That chair eventually ended up in the attic," said Dela Cruz.

Today, reclining chairs are available in different price ranges and quality. A chair from Australia, for example, costs A$2,700 or roughly P50,000; one from China is priced at P11,000 and one from Thailand can be had for between P9,000 and P10,000.

"We have benchmarked our product against the world’s best-known brand. Our Easy Boy is deliberately priced at about half of that American brand, starting from P17,450 per unit. Our most expensive model, the slim chair with massage functions for 10 different body parts, costs P26,750," said Dela Cruz.

"Equally important is our after-sales service. Being a Philippine brand, we have available spare parts and we offer fast repairs as a result of regularly wear and tear. We have had requests from buyers to reupholster their seats. What I offer them is an entirely new seat for a few thousands more. This way, we add value to (instead of depreciating ) our seats as they age."

A case in point was the voluntary recall of the first batch of 25 seats sold.

"In the torture tests we conducted, we were not too happy with minor defects such as the small sound produced by the metal springs or the slight movement of the foot support on uneven floorings found in many homes. We have fixed these problems," said Ong.

Market

Although geared towards the A-B-upper C income markets, Kim Philip has chosen to market its products in the home section of all 17 SM malls nationwide. It also participates in trade shows such as the upcoming 16th Furniture Festival at Megamall on May 20-23, 2004.

"While our chairs are viewed largely as a status symbol, people are also buying for therapeutic purposes and for a general feeling of well-being that our chairs provide. Because our chairs are designed to give 100 to 160 degrees back support with corresponding elevation of the knees and legs, they support the spinal column and ease the pain caused by arthritis of the lower back and resulting from a back operation," said Dela Cruz.

Given such market positioning, price per unit is the last reason to buy Kim Philip’s Easy Boy.