Tags: Consumer Goods and Concerns, Outsourcing, Technology Industry
By Alexander Villafania
PASIG CITY, METRO MANILA – The establishment of numerous business process outsourcing (BPO) companies meant substantial earning potentials especially for the country’s college graduates looking to expand their careers.
Now, with over half a million Filipinos employed in contact center companies, that potential has translated to increase in purchasing power.
BPO employees are also among the most demanding users of technology, highlighted by increasing sale of gadgets, particularly mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers, and tablet PCs.
Home appliances, such as widescreen TVs and home theater systems, are also in the A-list of items that employees in the multi-billion dollar BPO industry are looking to purchase. Such is the market for gadgets that concept stores are sprouting in many metro cities where BPOs are present.
Concept stores are specialty shops that focus on only a select number of products. One difference of concept stores from regular shops is that they have open-box devices that users can test.
The staff of concept stores has more in-depth knowledge of the products and therefore can address queries of consumers or potential buyers.
Among the popular concept store operators is Sony, which now has six VAIO stores in the country, the latest at the SM Mall of Asia. The VAIO shops highlight Sony’s laptop series though they also focus on Sony’s other audio-video products, including the PlayStation 3 game console.
Yung Yap, Sony Philippines director for channel and accounts management, said concept stores have enabled brands like Sony to accommodate new and existing markets. He added that Filipino consumers are more aware of brands, not just because of previous experiences but due to information coming from various sources, including the Internet.
“Filipinos are more familiar with technology now and will look at specific brands based on a number of things, such as previous experience, price, and even after sales support. But what makes it even better is that they want to have the experience of playing around with the device first before actually buying it so they go to concept stores,” Yap said.
Electroworld is among the companies that build concept stores. It operates a number of concept stores, including Sony, Nokia, and Nikon.
Joan Tan, merchandising head for Electroworld, said that increasingly Filipino buyers are more adept in using their technology and are more knowledgeable in keeping these in running condition.
She noted that even while many Filipinos have the buying capacity for even the most expensive devices, they look at it as necessity for both work and home use. “Some people are willing to shell out 100,000 pesos or more for a laptop – that’s already the down payment for a car. But what counts is how they’ll be using the device.”
Tan said that with the growth of the BPO industry in the Philippines, the gadgets market in the Philippines will also continue to grow. Concept stores will be a viable location for new buyers to test out the devices they fancy before making a purchase.
RELATED STORIES:
It’s a battle of the ‘netphones’ between Globe and Smart
Globe Telecom promotes do-it-yourself website tools for Filipino SMEs
RP goes up to speed with mobile Internet
RP telecoms can increase revenues via data services, says Ovum
RP telecom revenues shift from SMS to mobile Internet
More IT spending, wireless Internet top IDC predictions for RP
Advertising Agribusiness Agriculture Airline Industry Aquaculture Automobiles Banking Car Accessories consumer elec Consumer Electronics Consumer Goods and Concerns Cooperatives Cottage Industries Death Entrepreneurship Filipinos Abroad Food Establishments Groceries and Shopping Centers Handicraft Handicrafts hardware Hardware Solutions Horticulture Internet Livelihood Programs Malls Mass Media and Communications Mobile Phone Industry OFWs Outsourcing Real Estate Software Solutions technology Technology Industry teleco Telecommunications Tourism Transportation Vermiculture Wholesale and Retail
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
