Homegrown brands going global

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu-grown brands are now bound for international feat as players are serious in hitting the global market despite the perceived retail slowdown in the worldwide marketplace.

“Cebu companies are now making it big in Metro Manila and are now starting to create a name worldwide. The local retail industry is indeed very bullish,” said Pages Holdings Inc. (PHI) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bunny Pages in a text interview.

Some of the successful Cebu brands, like Loalde, Junrex Cellphones, Thirsty Fresh Fruits and Juices, Café Laguna restaurant, Colonnade Supermarket and Julie’s Bakeshop, are named finalists to the 13th Outstanding Filipino Retailers and Shopping Centers of the Year (OFR) Award for 2009.

“Being recognized as a finalist is a reward in itself. It’s an honor not only for the company but for the Cebu garment industry,” said Loalde President Chris Aldeguer.

The OFR Award is the “Oscars” of the Philippine retail industry, a press statement read.

The event is a joint project of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The OFR Award seeks to recognize the country's retailers who have epitomized the model of a successful retailer in terms of growth and good ethical practices.

With the belief that the Filipino retailer has all the makings of a world-class retailer, PRA and DTI launched in 1997 the OFR in the face of retail liberalization which opened the Philippine market to foreign retailers.

The PRA created the Shopping Center of the Year Award in 2002, adding to the OFR Awards in recognition of Philippine world-class retail/shopping centers that promote the growth and development of the industry.

For his part, Philippine Retail Association (PRA-Cebu) chairman Jay Aldeguer said that the perceived threat of the global crisis has turned to opportunity as more retailers heeded the call to raise the bar of local retailing.

“They responded by investing in training, technology and adopting world-class-standards and best practices for their organization,” said Jay Aldeguer.

Earlier, Hong Kong Trade Development Council assistance executive director Raymund Yip urged Filipino retailers, especially garment manufacturers in Cebu to aggressively start an international expansion.

Yip believes that Filipino-developed brands specifically in garment have huge potential in hitting the global market.

By simply putting its commercial presence in Hong Kong is already a good start, he said.