Alfamart reaches 900 store milestone amid quarantine challenges
It was all smiles and celebration as the latest Alfamart branch in Valdez, Floridablanca, Pampanga recently opened its doors to serve the surrounding community. Alfamart, the first and only Super Minimart chain in the Philippines, was able to pull this off despite current circumstances, thanks to the dedication of everyone in their team.
“The first half of the year was definitely not easy,” said Alfamart Philippines COO Harvey Ong. “We were hoping to have our 900th store opening to coincide with our anniversary in June. But of course, we needed to realign — to make sure that our frontline staff and employees were safe and well-equipped to deal with the challenges of the pandemic and the accompanying quarantine that came with it,” he continued.
Ong reiterated the fact that Alfamart employees were also frontliners who served the community. They needed to be safe so that they too can keep the customers’ shopping experience as safe and carefree as possible. “They are hard workers–dedicated to the core. We actually gave them freedom to choose whether they need to report to work or not during the quarantine. We were overwhelmed and surprised that a lot of them chose to still report to work, so, of course, we did everything in our power to make it easier for them to do their jobs,” he said.
Even up to now, Alfamart staff are still given free shuttle rides, provided PPEs and sanitation materials, and regular tests to ensure their health and wellness.
“We were fortunate that everyone in Alfamart adjusted well to the situation,” Ong continued. “We were eventually able to get our legs under us and continue with our plans to expand our operations further into Central and South Luzon,” he shared.
One of the biggest adjustments Alfamart implemented was establishing cashless payments in all 900 stores. Currently, they are accepting GCash and are planning to accommodate more cashless options in the future.
