Pepsi bags exclusive deal with Starmalls

MANILA, Philippines – Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. has forged a three-year multi-million peso exclusive beverage and marketing agreement with Villar-led Starmalls Inc.

Under the deal, Pepsi products like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Seven Up, Mirinda, Lipton iced teas, Tropicana, Mug and Gatorade, will be served exclusively in Starmall foodcourts, cinemas, wellness and fitness centers and terminal hubs.

The partnership also involves holding Pepsi promos, brand activations, raffle draws and other events at Starmalls.

“As part of our mission statement, we will continue to market portfolio of international and home-grown branded quality products at prices that will provide good value to our consumers in key food and beverage category,” said Partha Chakrabarti, president of Pepsi Philippines.

For his part, Starmalls president and chief executive officer Jerry Navarrete said the partnership between the company and Pepsi Philippines comes at a time the Villar firm is reviving up its mall expansion.

“The partnership of Starmalls and Pepsi came at the right time – in the midst of our expansion plans. Being partners with an established brand pushes our stance to be a more aggressive and dynamic player in the industry. We are very positive with this venture in as much as we are equally optimistic in landing similar mutual partnerships with other companies,” Navarrete said.

Starmall, the corporate vehicle for the mall and office building operations of the family of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., has set a P15-billion five-year capital spending program to expand its chain of malls throughout the country, especially in Visayas and Mindanao.

Its five malls are currently located in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Las Piñas, EDSA Shaw, Alabang and Worldwide Corporate Center.

Pepsi Philippines reported a more than five-fold jump in its first semester net earnings this year to P577.5 million on record sales volumes across the carbonated soft drinks and non-carbonated beverage segments.

The beverage firm expects to sustain higher profitability throughout 2012 on continued efforts to drive top-line growth, lower sugar prices, increased marketing efforts, tight-cost control measures and industry growth turnaround.