Manila, Philippines – Malaysian retail specialist Valiram Group is currently looking at expanding its operations in the Philippines by developing airport outlets for duty-free retail tourism.
Meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Singapore, Valiram Group expressed their interest in expanding in the next five years with the Philippines on their list.
In this plan, Valiram’s development priorities include having duty-free access at the airports, with the company building more airport walk-through stores personalised to provide customers with a pleasant shopping experience.
Valiram aims to elevate customer experience in the Philippines, especially by giving them more space at the nation’s gateways, removing the stress and hassles of security checks.This initiative is also in line with Valiram’s interest to grow the local presence with their affiliated international brands through these Philippine outlets.
Expressing the group’s interest, a Valiram official said, “We are looking to bring the success that we have in Southeast Asia, outside the Philippines, and into the Philippines. You know, we now have a net worth of over 500 stores. And some brands are not yet represented in the Philippines and so we’ve been working hard and with everyone’s support and guidance, we’re looking forward to expanding very quickly.”
The President acknowledged that retail business is a significant part of today’s economy and in the case of Valiram, of the tourism industry.
“It’s an important sector of the economy. It’s what’s driving the economy now, it’s consumer spending. I always say this: not all Filipinos are Ilocanos. Ilocanos don’t spend,” Marcos said jokingly.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed his support for the President’s thrust to encourage more investors to come to the Philippines, noting that Congress is focusing on crafting legislation or laws that govern the treatment and the appreciation of foreign investments into the country.
In the President’s business meetings with Dyson Group and the Valiram Group, Romualdez mentioned that Marcos welcomes and supports all of these initiatives.
