Watsons, the international health and beauty brand, reinforces its retail philosophy in the Philippines of championing more sustainable ways of doing business while working with partners to explore solutions that can be ‘practical, scalable and impactful.’
On August 14 at its distribution center at the Laguna International Industrial Park in Biñan, Watsons signed a partnership with Mober, the Philippines’ pioneer in 100-percent electric logistics. This means that electric vehicles will be integrated into Watsons’ delivery operations.
‘Every day, products make their way from distribution centers [in Laguna, Pampanga and Cebu] to stores and, ultimately, to the customers and communities that Watsons serves [nationwide],’ said Sharon Decapia, senior AVP for marketing, PR and sustainability of Watsons Philippines.
‘With Mober, Watsons is taking a step toward making these deliveries more sustainable by using electric vehicles, helping reduce carbon emissions while supporting the continued movement of health, beauty and wellness products. It is a practical step toward making better choices for people, communities and the planet,’ added Decapia.
In 2002, AS Watson Group joined hands with SM, the country’s leading shopping-mall developer. The partners opened the first Watsons stores in SM Megamall and The Podium (Ortigas). Since then, Watsons has grown to 1,200 stores all over the Philippines.
INNOVATIVE, INCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP
THE collaboration with Watsons and Mober demonstrates how sustainability can be translated into practical everyday action by finding better ways to operate while continuing to deliver the quality service that Watsons’ customers expect from the brand. ‘We see this [partnership] as an important step and opportunity to explore what more we can achieve together. Because creating a more sustainable business requires more than good intentions,’ said Watsons managing director Danilo S. Chiong. ‘It requires action, innovation, and partnerships that turn commitments into everyday practice. And this is closely aligned with what Watsons stands for: Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great.’
Dennis Ng, the chief executive officer of Mober, also lauded Watsons’ introduction of EVs into its logistic network.
‘More importantly, this initiative also creates opportunities for women to take the wheel and build careers in an industry that are mostly dominated by men. I added this because in Mober, we are very conscious of inclusivity,’ explained Ng.
‘Currently, Mober has eight female truck drivers in the barricade. Eventually, we’ll deploy more here in Watsons. Driving EV is easier than driving an ice truck. We are proud that many drivers will be part of this journey, showing that women can lead not only in the workplace but also on the road,’ Ng noted.
PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
Decapia underscored that Watsons’ sustainability programs are classified into three pillars: The Planet Initiatives, People Initiatives, and Product Initiatives.
‘So, this [partnership] is part of our Planet Initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint. In fact, we have started thinking or planning about this several years back already because in the other Watsons markets, especially in Europe, it’s already the standard,’ she said.
Unfortunately, in the previous years, it was still not feasible in terms of availability and cost. But starting with Mober, navigating through the requirements of a 100-percent electric vehicle to deliver products will be much easier.
‘Then we have the second pillar, which is People. Apart from taking care of our own employees, we have programs for the community. So, our focus is medical missions three times a year, like the Operations Smile Partnership, which provides free surgery for kids with cleft lip and cleft palate conditions. These initiatives are very transformative,’ Decapia proudly shared.
For Products, which are sold both online and in physical stores, the brand has dedicated spaces for sustainable choices. These are products that are considered under Clean Beauty, products with better ingredients, with better packaging, and, most importantly, the refill packs which they are pushing for.
‘The refill packs are good for the planet because they use or consume 75 percent less energy versus the bottled version,’ Decapia concluded. ‘And it also allows our customers to save. So. it’s good for the planet, and it’s good for the budget, as well.’