Wilcon hopes to open 100th store by next year

MANILA, Philippines — Home improvement retailer Wilcon Depot Inc. hopes to   open its 100th store by next year, a year ahead of the original target.

On the sidelines of Outstanding Filipino Retailers Awards, Wilcon senior executive vice president and chief operating officer Rosemarie Ong told reporters that the company is close to reaching the goal of its #FlyingHighTo100 store expansion campaign, wherein the company aims to have 100 operating stores nationwide by 2025.

“Right now we’re 86 stores and we will continue to build stores. So we will continue to expand. I think we will be more aggressive,” Ong said.

She said the company hopes to open the 100th store by next year.

“We’re 86 stores now. And at the rate that we’re going, we should be able to achieve the 100th store by 2024,” Ong said.

The company said a total of 10 new stores are targeted to be opened this year.

“We already opened three stores, so maybe we will open seven more stores this year,” Ong said.

She said the company is likely to have more small and medium-sized stores as it focuses on expanding in areas outside of Metro Manila.

Asked for the location of the new stores to be opened this year, Ong said these would mostly be in Luzon and some in Mindanao.

“And next year probably more Visayas and Luzon,” she said.

In April, Wilcon opened its 86th store in Uptown Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental.

The company also opened stores in Rosario, Batangas and Guiguinto, Bulacan.

Last month, Wilcon held two simultaneous groundbreaking ceremonies in Valencia, Bukidnon, and  Koronadal, South Cotabato.

“The groundbreaking ceremonies marked the beginning of the construction of Wilcon Depot’s newest store branches in these provinces,” Ong said.

“Wilcon Depot is ready to serve a huge demand for home improvement and construction supplies in these areas, as its unwavering commitment to improving the standard of living for every Filipino is reflected in the expansion of its retail stores,” she said.