Tag: Mercury Drug

Manila, Philippines – UnionBank and Mercury Drug launched the new UnionBank Mercury Credit Card – a one-of-a-kind credit card designed to reward consumers for prioritizing their health and wellness.

With the new UnionBank Mercury Credit Card, users are not only encouraged to stay on top of their health, but also to be rewarded for it. It is also is the country’s first card dedicated to rewarding health.

The new UnionBank Mercury Credit Card was completely reimagined to cater to a new generation of health-conscious consumers. The new modern design, featuring the iconic ‘Mercury Man,’ makes it not only visually appealing but symbolic of Mercury Drug’s decades-long commitment to promoting health and well-being.

With the special credit card, users are entitled to 5X rewards points on all health and wellness-related purchases — a benefit no other card currently offers. Whether consumers are buying medicines, vitamins, supplements, fitness gear, or paying for gym memberships and medical services, the card rewards their dedication to a healthy lifestyle by maximising every peso spent in these categories.

In addition to the points, the card offers no annual fees for life. Plus, cardholders will enjoy free annual physical exams and ambulance services every year.

The launch of this card marks a new chapter in the evolving partnership between UnionBank and Mercury Drug, underscoring their shared commitment to enhancing the lives of Filipinos through innovative financial solutions that support health and wellness goals.

Manoj Varma, consumer banking head of UnionBank of the Philippines, described the card as a groundbreaking financial product that stands out in the market. “This isn’t just another rewards card. The UnionBank Mercury Card is designed to meet the growing demand for wellness-oriented financial tools, and it does so with unparalleled value.”

Meanwhile, Vivian Azcona, president of Mercury Drug, shared her excitement about the partnership, noting that this card is more than a financial tool — it’s a symbol of Mercury Drug’s commitment to helping Filipinos lead healthier lives. 

“The UnionBank Mercury Card is designed to empower our customers to make healthier choices while being rewarded for it. It truly aligns with Mercury Drug’s vision of promoting health and wellness for all Filipinos,” she said.

Philippines – The pandemic flipped everything on 360 degrees, and to look at the current rankings of the top companies in the business sector is to view it from a whole new perspective. Market research firm Euromonitor International has recently released its list of the top companies in the retail industry in Asia for 2020, and in the Philippines, a majority of those that were leading the in the year 2019 are still the ones that reigned in 2020.

Out of the 10 in the list, the top five all registered steady growth in sales in 2020, retaining their standings from the past year. SM Retail, which holds a nationwide portfolio of department stores, supermarkets, and specialty stores, still came out as the leading firm in the sector. It was followed by pharmaceutical company Mercury Drug, with grocery retailer Puregold Price Club coming out on the third spot. Meanwhile, another giant in retail, Robinsons Retail Holdings, registered neither a drop nor an improvement in sales as well, landing the top fourth spot, while specialty store group Seven & I Holdings rounded the top five. 

Top retailers in the Philippines

Three of the top firms, which are also all international companies – beauty and wellness AS Watson Group, China-based Alibaba Group, and Shopee’s parent company Sea – all recorded improvements in sales landing the 6th, 8th, and 9th spots respectively.

Meanwhile, local grocery retailer Metro Retail Stores Group was shown to drop sales in 2020, with international home retail Wilcon Depot also demonstrating the same movement in sales.

SM Retail, which registered $5.4b in sales in 2020 came out as the 9th leading retailer in the Southeast Asia region. For the region, Tokopedia took the crown with $11.7b in total sales for the year. 

Meanwhile, for the whole of Asia, it was China’s Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com that were named as top firms. 

The pandemic remains to be the biggest determinant of the rankings, where the lockdown in the Philippines had become one of the longest globally, which started in March of 2020, and is still presently in reinforcement. According to Euromonitor, this affected the way people chose to fulfill their essentials, where mixed retailers were the worst hit, with consumers opting for specialist retailers, presenting a convenient way to obtain what they needed in stock. 

With people cooped up at home, the current situation panned out greatly for e-commerce, and this showed with Shopee’s parent firm Sea registering an increase in sales. According to the report, the category had already been growing at a double-digit pace pre-lockdown but this was accelerated in 2020 with people maximizing the ease of online retail. 

An interesting growing trend in 2020 in the Philippines is community stores, or stores that are situated in nearby communities and neighborhoods. These existed prior to COVID-19, and the increase in popularity can be attributed to the presence of Alfamart, a minimart that is a hybrid between a supermarket and a convenience store. 

Alfamart is a chain of convenience stores from Indonesia, with over 10,000 stores across Indonesia and the Philippines. Euromonitor said the concept increased in relevance in 2020 as consumers looked for the most convenient ways to complete their shopping trips, with the trend expected to continue further.