Amway Philippines Country Manager, Ms. Leni Olmedo
During one of her talks in Health and Dietary Supplement Association of the Philippines (HADSAP)
(Photo from Amway Philippines)
By Monsi A. Serrano
It’s undeniable. The nationwide lockdown forced upon us by the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the lives of everyone we know. It has caused anxiety as health and safety concerns coupled with economic and income uncertainties weighed down every Juan and Juana, setting back a broad spectrum of businesses.
Much as it tries, government is still struggling to enforce policies that strike the perfect balance between lives and livelihood. More than 50 percent of the MSMEs have closed down. There’s been zero revenue in the tourism industry since April. And the most dreadful forecast is that about 5-10 million jobs are to be lost by end of 2020.
The question is, “Are we going to allow ourselves to be victims of this predisposed forecast?” Many amongst us have already thrown in the towel, seemingly stuck in the fatalistic outlook. The real challenge, though, is for us to take on an action plan that anticipates the worst and prepares us for it.
While we know that there’s no perfect way to handle this extraordinary situation which, by all indications, is beyond our control. But we cannot embrace a defeatist attitude. A strong mindset that treads against the worst-case scenario is what Filipino resiliency is all about.
This is what Amway Philippines commits in their online media launch about access to essentials and entrepreneurial solutions amid the pandemic, dubbed as “Absolutely Amway.”
The world’s leading direct-selling company with an $8.4 billion revenue in 2019, expressed its commitment to provide healthier lifestyles for customers and create a path for Amway Business Owners (ABOs).
The plan is simple, paving the way for ABOs to achieve their goals through investments in innovation meant to strengthen the company’s position even beyond the pandemic.
Amway Philippines Country Manager, Leni Olmedo said, “Despite the many changes that we’ve experienced in the past six months, the core of any business, regardless of industry, remains to be creating personalized experiences for customers.”
“Direct selling is no different – we just have to make use of a different channel and that is digital, and we are proud to adapt swiftly given the current global situation,” Olmedo added.
A Euromonitor study on E-commerce in the Philippines tracked 75 percent of Filipinos shopping online in 2019.
Olmedo believes this online shopping trend is set to go up during the pandemic as validated by Amway’s own experience. True enough, the number of ABOs purchasing Amway products online grew from 8 percent to 40 percent during the ECQ months, and recently, up again to 70percent with the launch of the upgraded website last month.
To further strengthen the company’s digital presence, Olmedo said Amway Philippines is extending this accessibility to all Filipinos with the development of Amway Exclusive Shopper to be launched next month.
“Direct selling is not immune to digital transformation. While we have taken great strides on digitizing our operations with our ABOs, we knew it was about time for us to redefine the direct selling model. With Amway Exclusive Shopper, customers can directly purchase Amway products online. However, unlike many e-commerce platforms, each order will be fulfilled through an assigned ABO so customers can still benefit from personalized service whether or not they opt to directly engage with the ABO,” he said.
With the upcoming launch of Amway’s e-commerce site, the company is also keen on providing Filipinos with their increased demand for health and wellness products. According to Euromonitor, the coronavirus outbreak accelerated household wellness trends, including demands for immune-boosting supplements and even garden wellbeing products. This trend has resulted in double-digit growth in Amway’s Health and Wellness, Personal Care, and Home Care categories.
“There’s no secret to our performance. It’s all a matter of carrying a relevant portfolio of pure, safe, and effective products that people will need for them to be able to do more despite the lockdown. This enhances the lives not just of our customers but also our ABOs whose businesses remained active despite the slowing down of our economy,” Olmedo said.
Apart from utilizing the available technology, Olmedo also shared that Amway Philippines will provide free delivery with a minimum of P1,000. This is part of Amway’s support to its customers and would-be entrepreneurs who will venture into the business.
The strength of Amway’s portfolio attracted a new wave of Filipino entrepreneurs, giving Amway an increase of 130% in new ABO sign-ups from April to June 2020. The company sees this uptake as a way for newly unemployed Filipinos to augment their income during a difficult time.
“The Amway Business has always been about supporting a life of balance and wellness, and we believe there are no limits when it comes to achieving what you want in health and in business. We are reinstating our commitment to joining Filipinos in their journey to living their best life, to be absolutely healthy, to be absolutely empowered, and that is to be Absolutely Amway,” Olmedo concluded.