Home of big ideas continues to soar, ends the year with stellar finish
The people working in Wilcon Depot, the Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction retailer, leave Year 2023 with big smiles on their faces because of their golden achievements and a palpable excitement for the coming year.
The company owes such a stellar showing and bright prospects ahead because of a strong portfolio of products and services. Patrons – whether professionals or just happy homeowners – have learned that going to a Wilcon Depot location is synonymous with a convenient shopping experience.
Guests get to shop in well-spaced, air-conditioned and highly navigable stores. Whichever of the centrally located stores people enter, they instantly see the vastness of the product selection at Wilcon Depot. The “one-stop shops” have anything from tiles, sanitaryware, plumbing, furniture, home interior and DIY items, to building materials, hardware, automotive and electrical appliances. These are all top-shelf products sourced here and abroad.
On top of all those advantages, various spaces and services allow people to congregate, to grow their knowledge and arrive at more informed decisions, to shop flexibly and to feel a unique warmth in every Wilcon Depot location. The staff are knowledgeable and hospitable. You may visit the Tile Studio, Sanitaryware and DIY Sections, the Home Living Showroom, the Design Hub and the ABCDE Lounge, among others. Purchasing is multiplatform: Wilcon Depot has an online shop at shop.wilcon.com.ph/; even a hybrid option, “Browse, Call, Collect or Deliver.”
Such features make it comprehensible how millions of Filipinos flock to Wilcon Depot locations. Respecting that trust, the company has innovated and hit important milestones in 2023.
On March 1, it received the Headliners Award for top print advertiser from the United Print & Multimedia Group. The citation recognized companies that consistently collaborate with and trust print media to promote their brands.
That same month, on March 26, it displayed its passion for sustainability through launching its “Wilcon Sustainable Choice” campaign. It involves placing “Sustainable Choice” tags on eco-friendly products, as well as a commitment to add more sustainable products to its offerings. It is an important addition to corporate social responsibility and operational policies that have looked for more sustainable ways forward.
In May, top executives of Wilcon Depot flew to Jakarta, Indonesia, to receive the Annual Outstanding Distributor Award from Kohler. The award was a testament to Wilcon Depot’s commitment not only to serve end-users but also to partner with leading industry players.
In a glitzy affair at Okada Manila on June 8, the company’s sustainable practices once again enjoyed the spotlight as Wilcon Depot was announced the Outstanding Filipino Retailers (OFR) Award in Sustainability. The OFR Award is a prestigious recognition given to outstanding local retail companies, a collaboration between the Philippine Retailers Association and the Department of Trade and Industry. The special edition, where Wilcon Depot was cited, honored those who responded effectively to the pandemic.
Further testament to the stellar pandemic response is an award on June 15: the Digital Initiatives of the Year-Philippines from the Retail Asia Awards. The award recognized Wilcon Depot’s digital initiatives, particularly the Wilcon VR Store Experience. It provides an immersive virtual environment that takes one to the Balintawak store through a VR headset.
Just last Nov. 21, Wilcon Depot made it to Forbes Asia’s Best Under A Billion list, which spotlights top-performing small and midsized listed companies in the Asia-Pacific region with annual sales under US$1 billion. It was one of only four Philippine companies, chosen from a field of 20,000-plus.
One of the most heartwarming milestones comes from the originator of Wilcon Depot himself. William T. Belo, the founder and chairman emeritus of the brand, was honored with a degree Doctor of Commerce, honoris causa, at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Sept. 28. That cemented the place of the businessman and his brand—started in a 60-sqm hardware store along Quezon Avenue in 1977—in Philippine business and real estate.
It is an unwavering commitment to the clientele that has unlocked those milestones for Wilcon Depot, milestones that in turn gave it an edge against other players when it expanded nationwide this year. Opened in 2023 are new Wilcon Depot locations (Guiguinto, Bulacan; Rosario, Batangas; San Nicolas, San Fernando City, Pampanga; Santa, Maria Bulacan; Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte; and Naic, Cavite) and Home Essentials branches (Cagayan De Oro City; Southpark Mall, Alabang).
With 89 stores as of Dec. 5, Wilcon Depot is inching closer to its goal of #FlyingHighTo100 by 2025, barring any unexpected external factors. And, if any “external factor” does come along, that will not be from a weakened patronage from among the Filipino people, or the company’s partners and peers.
