Junrex refocuses strategy on concept stores

As the Cebu market grows more sophisticated, homegrown mobile phone retailer Junrex Holdings Inc., sets focus on putting up more concept stores in Cebu.

In an interview with Maharlika C. Mar, she said that the company will open few more concept stores in partnership with the top cellphone manufacturing firms, such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, among others.

“The market is now becoming more educated, highly intellectual, and more conscious on warranty services. The beauty of having concept stores is that brand makers are able to offer their services to end users,” Mar said.

Aside from the Junrex shops located inside the malls, and in other parts of the metropolis, Mar said the company is now working on linking with cellular brand owners for its concept stores in Cebu.

In Ayala Center Cebu, Junrex has partnered with different mobile phone brands to set up two concept stores. It also operates three concept stores in SM Cebu.

In the concept store establishments, Junrex operates and owns the store, but it is being governed by the standard of a particular manufacturer.

The Nokia store in Ayala for instance, is owned and managed by Junrex, but the operational standard is dictated by Nokia’s international operation.

Because of the increasing reach of cellular consumers in the urban and suburban areas in Cebu, Junrex has created a subsidiary company to target the middle to low-end consumers, with the creation of Mobile City chain of cellular retail shops.

Junrex Holdings is now operating 19 stores in the Southern Philippine region, including a store in Cagayan de Oro City and Bohol.

Junrex currently focuses on the fertile market for cellular units in Cebu, which has provided the company with a double growth performance.

Junrex, the largest cellular retail chain in the Philippines, refocuses its strategy on establishing more concept stores, rather than opening mixed-cellular units retail stores.

According to Mar, for the high-end to upper middle-end markets, concept stores are more in demand for this segment. On the other hand, its Mobile City chain of cellular retail shops will be servicing the mainstream market.

Mar noted that the saturation point of the cellular market in the urban or suburban areas is still at 30 percent, thus there is still a huge market to tap.

Besides, she said cellular preference is moving very fast, as more and more sophisticated units are being introduced from time to time. Some consumers even have three mobile phones, or more.

In the first semester of this year, Junrex is planning to open up three more concept shops in partnership with Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson.

Meanwhile, Junrex shops and Mobile City also offers the latest in the telecommunication technology right now, especially the PLDT SIM card called “Landline Plus,” which works in any GSM phone. This will allow mobile consumers to use landline telephone benefits using a cellular phone. —Ehda M. Dagooc