CEBU, Philippines - Worldwide Interiors pushed through with its expansion plans for its home depot along Natalio Bacalso Avenue despite the gloomy economy, to better serve its growing clientele and to prepare for the much anticipated economic rebound.
“We want to be more convenient for our customers because our home depot can provide them with a complete variety of their structural, finishing and furnishing needs,” said Worldwide Interiors sales manager Ann Marjorie O. Yang in an interview.
Worldwide Interiors owns and operates Worldwide Home Depot at the N. Bacalso Avenue which started from a 500 square meters showroom and now expanded to 2,500 square meters dedicated to the store’s growing client-base, said Yang.
“We want to provide convenience to our clients so that they no longer need to go far to buy whatever it is that they need for their home. We want to be a one-stop-shop for their construction and furnishing needs,” added Worldwide Interiors vice president for marketing Ann Leslie Ngo.
Ngo said that their company decided to continue their expansion plans amidst these times of economic crisis because of their continued optimism on Cebu’s construction industry, which remains resilient at this critical period.
“Even if there is a crisis, there is still a growing need for construction materials because there are projects that continued their construction keeping the momentum of the market at pace and the demand is still there,” said Yang.
“In crisis there is always opportunity. Even if there is a slowdown, we do not see any decline of construction demand because even if there is slow growth, the industry remains steady so far specifically here in Cebu,” Ngo added.
She said that although new projects and investors are in a wait and see mode, so far the projects which started before the crisis have continued.
Ngo said that their store expansion is not only their way of better servicing their clients but also their way of preparing for the awaited time when the economy would get better.
“We still hope that this crisis will be temporary. We also hope that with our expansion we can increase our sales and operations,” said Ngo.
Compared to the previous year, Yang said that their sales performance for the first five months of the year continue to be steady.
She said that they have noted a growing trend of the market which is shifting towards convenience and value for money.
“Right now, consumers are looking for convenience because most of them do not have enough time to shop and are always in a rush to do things. They also look for variety, value for money and affordability so we want to provide them with that here at our store,” said Yang.
Worldwide Home Depot showcases a variety of products from tiles and flooring materials, bathroom fixtures, electrical and lighting materials, plumbing, kitchen and outdoor materials, lawn and garden materials, pet care and car care products, furniture, structural products like steel bars, and paints and sundries.
They also have bathroom and kitchen modules that can help clients visualize the concept of their homes and they also provide free services of design consultants that can assist clients in decorating their homes.
Worldwide Interiors also operate three other shops which include The Tile Shop along A.S. Fortuna, Worldwide Interiors along Sacris Road in Mandaue, and Worldwide Home Depot in Carcar. —Rhia de Pablo