Constant retooling, reinvention a must for retailers
MANILA, Philippines — Like a bee to a flower, there are many reasons Rosemarie Bosch-Ong is a natural fit for Wilcon Depot Inc. and the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA). One of these is their shared belief for – and dedication to – the pursuit of continuous retooling and sharpening of skills.
Ong, the current PRA president and Wilcon Depot executive vice president and COO, stressed that to thrive in an ever-changing industry, the key is constant reinvention and to never rest on your laurels, thinking you already possess the things you need with the success you’ve been reaping.
“You might think that I already have everything that I needed in life. As they say, it is essential to keep on learning and adapting with the ever-dynamic and ever-changing industry,” she said.
And just like Wilcon and the PRA, Ong’s drive for continuous learning is also geared toward the betterment of other people. “Because life teaches us something new by the experiences we encounter, I am still finding for more ways to learn and hone my skills to give back and help others in the future years to come,” Ong shared.
“And for Wilcon, one of our top goals is to invest in our employees to keep them well-trained so that they can at the same time respond to the company’s constant needs. As the company grows, we will make sure that no one is left behind. Being the company’s asset, we will keep our employees engaged and provide them more opportunities for professional growth and development.”
This is also the driving force behind PRA, the reason it organizes several projects like the annual National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE). Through the NRCE, the stakeholders in the retail industry – from the retailers themselves to their employees and suppliers – are learning the new trends and best practices in pursuing growth opportunities through the wisdom being shared by top-caliber international speakers who are certified experts in retailing-related fields.
The recently concluded 26th NRCE held at the SMX Convention Center from Aug. 15 to 16, for instance, featured about a dozen foreign speakers and about an equal number of local experts who expounded on the theme “Retail Reimagined.”
Ong, who began her stint at Wilcon Depot in 1984 and rose through the ranks while the company was also rising to the top of the industry, was elected president of the PRA last year and has been receiving good raves from her peers and retailing stalwarts for her exemplary leadership.
“Rose Ong definitely steered the PRA to greater heights. We are seeing better participation from our members because of her charisma, dedication and leadership by example, making it easier for us to pursue our programs with success and launch new projects,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ma. Alegria Sibal-Limjoco, who is one of the pillars and acknowledged leaders of PRA.
PRA chairman emeritus Samie Lim is also all praises for Ong. “Rose Ong brought to the PRA the kind of dedication she gives to Wilcon Depot every single day, monitoring every aspect of the operations day-to-day just like how a COO would in managing a company. She regularly checks the PRA’s financial health and is always on top of our projects,” Lim said.
Lim also recognized the efforts of Ong in the success of the recently held NRCE 2019. “Congratulations to the NRCE Team, led by Rose Ong, for breaking the ‘glass ceiling’ for the conference. Excellent topics and speakers, and most important we were able to attract a ‘new generation’ of participants. From retailers, malls, to suppliers. The future of retailing is in good hands.”
Ong, after working in a bank, moved to Wilcon as she saw the opportunity to fulfil her childhood dream of “seeing the world” through the company founded by William T. Belo in 1977. She said the company fits her personality – very positive and extrovert. The service-oriented nature of Wilcon allowed Ong to harness her skills and use her natural traits to the fullest, as its business entails dealing with a lot people.
Ong said differences in the way retailing in the construction sector was done back in the 1980s and how it is being done today are very noticeable. “Back then, there are limited resources and supplies and the establishment of traditional brick-and-mortar stores are just underway. Now, with the emergence of innovation and technology, these retailers are adding some elements to their traditional brick-and-mortar stores to provide a more seamless shopping experience to their customers. More retailers are now addressing the modernization in the industry and at the same time the need to evolve.”
“As with Wilcon, we constantly embrace and adapt to integration and innovation. I strongly believe that this is the distinguishing factor that paved continuous growth and improvement for Wilcon, and eventually served as our stepping stone to lead the construction retail industry. We are relying much on the personal touch, but now the path to purchase has leveled up in terms of the total approach,” she said.