Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI) is accelerating its e-commerce initiatives and developing its digital assets to build what it calls the METRO Digital Ecosystem.
The program leverages on the development of a combination of internal and external resources such as partnerships with leading e-commerce players, online store enhancements, loyalty program integration, among others. These initiatives are designed to provide its shoppers with a more seamless and convenient shopping experience.
MRSGI aims to ride on the continued rise in e-commerce among Filipinos, citing a Euromonitor report predicting that newly found convenience in online shopping will continue beyond 2022 even if things go back to pre-pandemic conditions.
“All these developments we are doing are in line with our commitment to grow our e-commerce business and ultimately enable us to continue meeting the changing customer demands in today’s digital environment,” said MRSGI President and Chief Operating Officer Manuel C. Alberto.
For its supermarket chain, the Cebu-based retailer is looking to expand its reach by adding multi-service superapp GrabMart to the list of their on-demand goods delivery service partners. Metro Supermarket customers in select areas of Metro Manila and Cebu can purchase from an assortment of more than 3,500 goods and have these delivered at their doorsteps through their Grab app.
Currently, Metro Supermarket in Ayala Center Cebu and Market! Market! in Taguig have this convenient arrangement. MRSGI is looking to include six more stores to join GrabMart before the year ends. The company is likewise set to launch its official store in the e-commerce apps Lazada and Shopee, in the fourth quarter to take advantage of the expected holiday shopping surge.
The company also continues to develop and improve its own digital assets such as its online shopping site shop.themetrostores.ph.
Launched in July 2020, the site provides more than 6,200 products through 10 participating stores across Luzon and Visayas. It has since gone through a series of enhancements such as the addition of a dynamic search bar that allows users to immediately view product images as they type in their queries, and a Shopping List function that allows them to add and save regularly bought items. In addition, there’s the “one-basket” feature that lets shoppers select products across the supermarket and department store categories using only one cart. These features reduce shopping time and simplify the whole online experience.
MRSGI is also working to integrate its Metro Rewards Card with customers’ Metro online accounts, allowing loyalty cardholders to earn points for all purchases made from shop.themetrostores.ph and even use accumulated points to pay for their online purchases.
The company is on track to making online shopping even more convenient by introducing a Progressive Web App (PWA). Functioning like a typical native app, PWAs are considered more efficient and convenient as they have reduced memory requirements and battery usage, and are expected to load faster and provide better navigating experience for users.
“Our customers can look forward to a more exciting and pleasant online shopping experience,” said JJ Moreno, MRSGI Chief Strategy Officer and Head of E-Commerce. “We have lined up a number of strategic initiatives that are geared towards making e-commerce an important component of MRSGI’s overall value proposition.”