Ministop to open 60 stores in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Japanese convenience store chain Ministop is planning to open 60 stores in Cebu as part of its major expansion in southern Philippines.

The company opened its first two stores in Cebu last week at Robinson’s Fuente and at Escario St.

Ministop Philippines general manager Roena Sarte announced that the chain is now looking at possible sites in Cebu  for the 60 stores that they plan to open in the next five years.

Likewise, Sarte said they are also in search of  possible franchisees to operate some of these outlets.

Ministop Philippines is a joint venture of Robinsons Retail Group, Mitsubishi  Group Japan and Ministop Limited Japan.

The brand entered the Philippines  12 years ago, and now it has over 300 Ministop convenience stores in  Luzon.

The two stores that it opened in Cebu last week are the first outlets outside Luzon.

According to Sarte, of the 60 stores it plans to open in Cebu,  15 of these will be company-owned while the rest will be given to interested franchisees.

The company is offering a range of P3 million to P4 million franchise turn-key package, depending on the location and size of the outlet.

“We believe in the Cebu market,” said Sarte in a press conference expressing confidence that the planned 60 outlets in five years for Cebu is attainable, as more people are now looking at good business opportunities in franchising.

“Filipinos now are very independent. They are more entreprenuerial. They like to own a business, rather than continue to be employees, and Ministop  is a very good business to start with,” she said.

After Cebu, the company is looking at expanding in other areas in southern Philippines  like Davao and  Panay Island, as well as potential expansion areas like Pangasinan and Ilocos region.

To prepare its major expansion for Cebu, Ministop has built a distribution center (DC) here  to maintain its edge in offering freshly cooked food to customers.

Ministop is a 24-hour convenience store  that carries a wide assortment of convenience merchandise ranging from groceries like snacks, beverage, canned goods, personal care and an extensive selection of ready-to-eat food products.  (FREEMAN)