Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. opened its 900th company-owned drugstore on January 10, 2022, with the newest Southstar Drug branch in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. The store is part of Southstar Drug’s strategic expansion into underpenetrated areas in Luzon.
“With the current climate of rising health concerns among our customers, it is especially important for us now to be able to address their needs for reliable and trusted medicines. We are gaining momentum in growing our geographic footprint in line with this goal with even more store openings lined up for 2022,” said Christine Tueres, group general manager of RRHI’s drugstore segment.
The company’s drugstore banners Southstar Drug and Rose Pharmacy have a combined store network of 900 stores in the country. Southstar Drug operates mainly in Metro Manila and Luzon, while Rose Pharmacy, which was acquired in October 2020, is the leading pharmaceutical retailer in the Visayas and Mindanao. RRHI also operates TGP, the country’s largest chain of generic drugstores, with more than 2,000 stores nationwide. Unlike Southstar Drug and Rose Pharmacy branches which are company-owned, TGP operates as a drugstore franchising business.
This year, RRHI is looking to further expand its entire drugstore segment, with Southstar Drug and Rose Pharmacy expected to open approximately 80 to 100 new branches between them. TGP’s expansion is accelerating even faster, with a projection of 100 to 200 new franchised stores by the end of 2022.
Apart from helping RRHI achieve its 900th drugstore branch milestone in January, Southstar Drug is also observing its 85th founding anniversary in 2022. To mark this remarkable achievement, the company plans to launch an anniversary campaign in April to showcase its rich history, from its humble roots to becoming one of the country's most trusted experts in health and wellness retailing today, according to Walter Ahlen de Jesus, SSD marketing manager.
“The campaign will feature stories of people – from the frontline to the management, and even loyal customers – who are part of this milestone, while also highlighting the different omni-channel services and sustainability initiatives of Southstar Drug, marking its continuous efforts to serve Filipinos in the changing times.”
Alongside the aggressive offline store expansion, Southstar Drug and Rose Pharmacy also operate their own e-commerce sites, southstardrug.com.ph and rosepharmacy.com, respectively.
For more information, visit robinsonsretailholdings.com.ph
