On Pricing & Promos: The Common Challenges of a Filipino Retailer

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How can promotions drive profitability across distribution channels during the holiday rush?

A recent study by the World Remit found that Filipinos spend 100% of their salary on gifts for family and friends during the holiday season — creating sales opportunities for retailers recovering from the pandemic or starting new ventures. As consumers increasingly become more comfortable going to shopping malls, shop owners need to use strategic in-store and online promotions to effectively cut through the noise and catch customer attention.

RELEX Solutions, a global leader in supply chain and retail planning, breaks down retailers’ most common promotions questions and shares a few tips to generate sales during the holiday season.

Question #1: How can I test the effectiveness of my promotion?

Filipinos enjoy indulging during the holidays, but the Philippines is a very price-sensitive market when it comes to consumer goods., This makes it crucial to identify proper price points for products sold. In fact, recent research from IPSOS shows that Filipinos are even more concerned about rising commodity prices than the effects of the pandemic. These concerns put pressure on local retailers to continue to run promotions and keep their prices low to attract more customers and increase sales.

But how does one test the effectiveness of these promotions?

A good place to start is running an A/B test. Retailers can set up experiments across select stores and timeframes to collect data that will be used in analyzing the potential sales impact. Another more challenging solution involves building detailed models that compare baseline and promotional demand for each item and store. Brands can then observe alternative scenarios and measure the effects of running or not running a specific promotion. In turn, consumers can decide on purchases based on their budget, which translates to sales for brands. Regardless of the approach, what remains crucial is the ability to calibrate terms as needed.

Question #2: How can I convert first-time customers into loyal customers?

Consumers are exposed to endless promotions as the holiday shopping season comes into full swing. Alongside competitor brands, promos within the same brand also divide a customer’s attention. This results in low sales uplift that is often barely enough to compensate for the price reductions, eventually leading to a loss.

Retailers must ensure their omnichannel promotions complement each other to hit maximum profitability with minimal strain on resources — all while delivering the best experience for customers. Data analysis from past promotions can also be studied to understand which practices should already be stopped or started. This includes assessments on price, tactics, and other features that could generate the best results.

Question 3: How do I know if I’m running too many promotions?

Only data can tell. When products with weak promo potential are advertised too often, it can threaten profits and margins. Insights from previous promotions help, but there are also several factors that could make manual analysis tricky. Such factors include sales comparisons across the different seasons of the year, as well as the frequencies of discounts given during the pandemic.

Retailers need to keep a rapid pace to contend with their competitors, so running complex, cumbersome manual experiments can be a waste of valuable time and resources. This is why digitization has played a crucial role in trying to optimize sales and promotions for retailers.

“Promotions, as tough as they are, play a considerable role in increasing sales and store traffic,” shared Kristie Davison, Vice President of Sales for APAC at RELEX Solutions. “That’s why retailers need to embrace promotions despite the competition and market challenges. While the strategies listed above will help, integrating a dedicated promotions tool will unlock even more potential and provide a wealth of insight and analysis to position relevance and engage customers seamlessly.”

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About RELEX Solutions

RELEX Solutions helps retailers and consumer brands drive profitable growth across all sales and distribution channels by maximising customer satisfaction and minimising operative costs. Our market-leading, unified supply chain and retail planning platform helps retailers and consumer goods companies align and optimise demand, merchandise, supply chain, and operations planning across the end-to-end value chain. We drive record-high product availability, increased sales, improved sustainability, and the best return on investment in inventory, space, workforce, and capacity. Leading brands like Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, Stokke, Rite Aid, Sprouts Farmers Market, AutoZone, and PetSmart trust RELEX to optimise their supply chain and retail planning.

Go to relexsolutions.com for more information

Community builders empowered to build better communities with Nas.io

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From the online bulletin boards of local villages and cities, online marketplaces, fan groups, school associations, and even home improvement pages, Filipinos have continued to remain active in participating in their numerous online communities as a go-to source for discussing their favorite topics with like-minded netizens.

More and more companies, interest groups, and organizations are building communities to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with and among their users and members. According to market research company GWI, in 2020 alone, 76% of all internet users participated in an online community, a statistic that has annually increased by 2% over the past 3 years.

With the rise of online communities today, builders and innovators are expected to carry out the operational work of reaching members and managing offline and online events — all while nurturing genuine and authentic connections with their followers.

Today, community leaders can do away with using multiple platforms and save hundreds of hours on administrative work through streamlining various operations, made possible using Nas Company’s newest platform, Nas.io.

Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin awards Community Creator Jam Blauta of the Barangay Virtual Assistants (Barangay VA) for being the first community to gather 10,000 members in Nas Company’s newest community platform, Nas.io.

Nas.io is the latest tech platform released by global content creator and founder and CEO of Nas Company, Nuseir Yassin. Nas.io equips community leaders with modern, intuitive tech solutions that make it easier to start and manage a growing online community.

Connect and communicate with members

One of the biggest challenges community managers face is reaching their audience, especially with the ever changing algorithms of the most popular social media platforms. Community managers have turned to smaller niche groups on group chat platforms. However, this presents its own problems, such as it being easy for members to get lost upon joining.

Nas.io solves this by functioning as a management layer on top of existing chat platforms like Facebook Groups, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, or Slack. Managers can use it as a tool to provide community members context on what conversations to expect through a custom community landing page. Nas.io also includes a unique feature called Magic Reach that allows community managers to send emails and messages to their communities. This intelligent messaging feature automatically finds the best way to send messages to community members. The tool is designed to learn how users or members prefer to be contacted, and which platform they are most active in.

Create and manage events

Aside from consistent communication, community builders also aim to create perfect events both in-person and virtual for its members.

From setting calendar invites to creating virtual meeting rooms, to making an event page and setting up a registration form, Nas.io simplifies the process of creating and managing events. By filling up three basic fields, community managers can automatically generate a personalized Zoom link shared to its members, which will lead them to a customized event page. Through the platform’s feature of sending and saving notifications to the members’ calendars, emails, and the mobile app, community managers can expect higher attendance and engagement rates. The platform can also be programmed to handle the member authentication to ensure exclusivity. And, should there be an admission fee to join these events, a hassle-free payment processing system can also be set-up by the manager.

Make communities sustainable

All the longest existing communities include monetization. This is why Nas.io includes monetization features that allow community managers to earn in order to sustain their community.

From membership subscription fees, exclusive content access, and event participation, creators can set-up their communities to be free, paid or even NFT-gated. This means that members are given several payment options that can be fulfilled through credit or debit cards, PayPal, and even crypto.

Filipino Communities started using Nas.io in its early stages

Prior to its official launch, Filipino communities started using Nas.io in its beta stage and have demonstrated great potential in the market.

Philippine Country Head of Nas Company Jacqueline Maye Lim said, “We at Nas Company aim to enable the creators, entrepreneurs, marketers to add value to their members through our platform. We have seen early signs of this in our beta launch where we have amazing communities that help their leaders build a deeper connection with their audience enabling them to solve their problems and add value to them. Whether it’s about finding alternative employment, or simply saving on important life milestones, communities are everywhere.”

Barangay Virtual Assistants (VA), more commonly known as Barangay VA, is one of the largest communities on Facebook with over 30,000 members. Despite the number of followers, community leader Jam Blauta shares that he can’t reach all thousands of his followers.

“As a community manager, I need to easily secure my audience and reach them instantly whether through SMS or email. The reality is, the number of social media followers doesn’t matter anymore that when you post content, you only reach 10% or sometimes even less. This is why Nas.io is the best thing that has happened in helping me reach the community of virtual assistants.”

To date, over 10,000 aspiring virtual assistants are using Nas.io, where they are educated, trained and given free advice and online courses on how to get employed.

Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin recognizes Community Creator Camille Fornela of The Budgetarian Bride for reaching over a thousand followers in the beta stage of Nas Company’s newest community platform, Nas.io.

Another up-and-coming group is Camille Fornela’s The Budgetarian Bride, an online community of brides, grooms, and wedding planners, who come together to discuss budget-friendly nuptial options and real experiences on wedding planning. Today, The Budgetarian Bride’s community has helped almost 4,000 soon-to-be married Filipinos plan their dream weddings without breaking the bank.

“Having multiple content formats available in one platform and connectivity to existing ones is essential in growing my community,” said Fornela.

 Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin, together with his team from Nas Company in the Philippines, pose for a group photo with the attendees of the ‘Nas Daily Community Meet-up’ held last November 12, 2022 at the New Frontier Theater, Quezon City.

Yassin awarded community leaders Jam Blauta and Camille Fornela in an exclusive community meet-up held at the New Frontier Theater last November 12, 2022. He highlighted their success in engaging local audiences in their respective communities that are transforming Filipinos’ lives.

Visit nas.io to know more about how you can create your own communities today.

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About Nas Company

Nas means people. Nas Company is on a mission to build community products that bring people together. Nas Company has successfully built communities over the years and are now building tools and integrations that will allow others to manage engaged communities faster and better than ever before.

About Nuseir Yassin

Nuseir Yassin is the founder and CEO of Nas Company and Nas Studios with over 50 million followers across the world. Nas.io and Nas Academy are housed under Nas Company with the mission to Bring People Together by building innovative education and community tools for creators.

Eastern Communications promotes digitalization in the education sector, builds strong connections for the holidays

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Eastern Communications and AMCHAM Foundation representatives in support of AMCHAM’s

Adopt A School Program

In this season of giving, premier telecommunications company and ICT solutions provider Eastern Communications carries out its high-touch initiatives to celebrate the significance of genuine human connections, particularly to the education sector.

In line with its "Emerge for a Stronger Tomorrow" campaign, Eastern Communications has continuously demonstrated its long-standing advocacy of supporting the education sector by promoting digital transformation and technological advancement. The company also aims to promote the intrinsic value of bayanihan that Filipinos share, encouraging everyone to give a helping hand.

Eastern Communications recently donated around 120 units of Cisco internet routers to the University of Sto. Tomas’ Faculty of Engineering. The department was selected to support the nation's future tech and innovation leaders. This endeavor will allow the school’s instructors and students to have the necessary tools for their UST Networking Laboratory, network protocol simulations, and other educational needs. As an advocate of democratizing digital solutions for all, Eastern is anticipating another round of router donations for more schools that are in need of connectivity tools. The telecommunications company has also been UST’s constant provider and longtime partner.

"By providing them with the tools they need for their digital learning, we hope to communicate our values to the next generation of innovators and leaders. These are not only gifts; this is our way of promoting technological literacy and uplifting both youth and educators,” Eastern Communications Head of Marketing Division Jed Estanislao said.

Moreover, Eastern Communications continuously achieves its goal of supporting the return to face-to-face learning by partnering with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (AmCham Philippines) Foundation’s Adopt-a-School Program.

Through AmCham’s initiative, Eastern Communications was able to provide for one of the program’s public school beneficiaries, Lunduyan na Pinagpala ng Panginoon Academy Inc. in Caloocan, by offering desktop units, as well as back-to-school health and hygiene kits for the whole student body.

With the Department of Education (DepEd) officially allowing schools the resumption of face-to-face classes, one of the biggest concerns identified by educational institutions is preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the classroom. The telco's donation of back-to-school kits includes sanitary and personal hygiene items like temperature scanners, alcohol, face masks, and hand soaps that will help both students and teachers maintain good health and curb the spread of the virus.

"The AmCham Foundation would like to thank Eastern Communications for their generous donation, which will assist in making our public schools a safer place for students this school year. Together with our partners, we hope to continue this effort in making an impact in people's lives," said Candy Angeles-Gabriel, American Chamber Foundation Philippines Inc. (AMCHAM) Events Manager.

Most recently, the telecommunications provider, together with other DMCI Homes Communities, supported DMCI's Community Outreach Program for the refurbishment of the educational facilities at the University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS). The outreach program includes the renovation of UPIS' restrooms, playground, and the repainting of its building entry, among other areas. According to DMCI - Prisma Residences Condominium Corporation Area Manager Jayson Lucea, all of UPIS' students will benefit from this project, and they will have a more conducive learning environment through the facility upgrades.

“Our group strongly believes that students would be able to achieve greater education when they are put in a proper environment,” said Lucea.

“In the past years, we pushed for e-learning initiatives because many of our young educators and leaders were still getting used to taking classes online. However, now that we gradually return to traditional classrooms, we are happy to support our Filipino teachers and students in our own unique ways,” added Estanislao.

Through the years, Eastern has launched various programs in support of the academic sector. These efforts include providing connectivity for public educational sites like the Mind Museum and BGC Arts Center and the launch of its "Onward: Nurturing Fearless Educators" webinar, in collaboration with DepEd. The latter event distributed Teacher's Kits for a more effective online teaching experience. The company also launched its own "Eastern Playground", a virtual hackathon for students created in collaboration with the Philippine Society of Information Technology (PSITE).

Eastern Communications targets to further mount other educational initiatives, as it strongly believes in the value of uplifting the sector, sharing information to improve technical literacy, and will soon be providing connectivity access to more schools.

To learn more about Eastern Communications services, visit eastern.com.ph. Stay tuned as it unveils its new website soon.

Game Changer ‘til the final lap! narzo ends 2022 with a double sold out on Shopee

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narzo Philippines closes its maiden year strong with another e-commerce achievement this December. During the 12.12 Mega Pamasko Sale on Shopee, the narzo 50A Prime sold out in less than an hour, selling six (6) units per minute on average at a flash price of only PHP 6,999.

Moreover, the narzo 50’s entire stock was also depleted within 39 minutes, selling four (4) units per minute on average at a flash price of only PHP 8,299. Both models have a 4.9/5 Product Rating on the platform, with satisfied customers pointing out the units’ high quality, good performance, and bang-for-your-buck factor.

Fans who missed out on 12.12 can still catch another wave of huge discounts and freebies this coming Payday Sale on Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, Zalora, and SM Online. They can also join the Quality Sulit Holidays offline promos, running until December 31 across all 58 narzo stores nationwide, for a chance to win exclusive prizes.

Have Joyful Moments In The Kitchen With Beko!

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Everyone can easily describe the vibes during the Christmas season – it's filled with many bonding moments and shopping sprees in the mall. Most importantly, for Filipinos, Christmas is about spending time with loved ones and creating new memories, which makes the holiday season merrier.

And, of course, this includes Filipino families spending time together in their kitchens. So, we've rounded up what usually happens in a typical Filipino kitchen during Christmas and how to make these moments more memorable and unique!

Preparing Lots Of Food Happily In The Kitchen

When we talk about Christmas, one of the first things that come to mind is Noche Buena. Filipino families love gatherings and preparing food for their loved ones, and by preparing food, we mean lots of it!

 Beko BIR35400XMS

It's a good thing that the Beko BIR35400XMS is such a lifesaver in the kitchen. Need to prepare lots of food for your family and relatives? Worry no more because this multifunctional oven has more than enough space for you to prepare your food without the hassle of spending too much time. It offers an 82 L of cooking capacity, which lets you cook on up to six shelf levels simultaneously, all within the dimensions of a standard-sized oven.

You can even get a clear view of your food while it's being prepared. It seems amazing, indeed. With the Beko Sends Love promo price, you can get the Beko BIR35400XMS  for only Php 28,991. 

It's a given that kitchens are usually occupied during the Noche Buena preparation, so the Beko HIC64100 will also help you prepare your food.

You can cook your favorite healthy meals with ease using this vitroceramic hob. What's more fun about this is this hob heats all types of cookware so you can prepare more food efficiently!

Beko HIC64100

With the Beko Sends Love promo price, you can get the Beko HIC64100 for only Php 15,291.

Looking All Glammed Up While Washing Dishes

Of course, Christmas is also all about looking beautiful and all glammed up, even the Noche Buena has been over, and you're now ready to say hello to washing the dishes.

Beko DTC36811S

You can wash your dishes without the hassle of the Beko DTC36811S. Don't worry about losing your Christmas glam while doing the dishwashing chore, as this tabletop dishwasher allows you to stack up to 8 plates simultaneously and enjoy its features, including the 6 Wash programs and water overflow safety system.

With the Beko Sends Love promo price, you can get the Beko DTC36811S for only Php 19,791.

Making Your Food Stored And Last For A Longer Time

Beko GNO480EHFGBPH

Well, Christmas and New Year's Eve are only a few days apart, and since Filipinos tend to prepare lots of food during Christmas, having the Beko GNO480EHFGBPH is essential to your kitchen!

Stock lots of food in your fridge with ease since the Beko has a NeoFrost Triple Cooling technology that has 2 separate cooling system that allows you to keep your food fresh for a longer time without having food odors mixed altogether.

Got some vegetables and fruits that you want to keep until the new year? This fridge also has HarvestFresh that uses innovative 3 colour light technology in the crisper drawer to cleverly mimic the 24-hour sun cycle, preserving vitamins in fruits and vegetables for longer. So you can enjoy a healthier lifestyle with more nutritious meals than ever.

Beko GNO480EHFGBPH

With the Beko Sends Love promo price, you can get the Beko GNO480EHFGBPH for only Php 54,892 from its original SRP of Php 60,990.

Christmas is indeed a wonderful and joyous season for everyone. With Beko, you can make your holiday kitchen moments memorable and filled with steps toward a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for the upcoming year ahead.

For more information about Beko in the Philippines, go to http://beko.ph or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bekoph and their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/bekoph/.