Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Starmobile taps ?sari-sari? stores, loading stations as distribution channels

By Espie Angelica A. de Leon

Star Telecom Alliance Resources Inc. (Star Inc.), makers of the local phone brand Starmobile, has taken a previously unexplored route in retail distribution by tapping ?sari-sari? stores and loading stations in and outside Metro Manila as its newest outlets.

Starmobile sales and marketing head Gerardo Balderrama
Starmobile sales and marketing head Gerardo Balderrama

This was announced by Starmobile sales and marketing head Gerardo Balderrama during Star Inc.?s 2017 business update for members of the media at the Batala Bar in Makati City on October 12.

Beginning on the second half of 2017, Starmobile feature phones have found their way in over 20 sari-sari stores and loading stations in Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga. These include the loading stations in Alphaland Mall, Makati Cinema Square and Guadalupe Mall in Metro Manila

?That is now something that we?re aggressively doing,? said Balderrama. ?What we want to happen is basically, wherever the market is, we want to be there as well.?

This new and groundbreaking move allows the local phone brand to extend its sales touch points beyond the usual retail distribution channels like branded stores and kiosks, multi-brand vendors, its own online shop, and partner e-commerce websites.

It also enables Starmobile to reach underserved markets in the Philippines, with the time-honored cultural icon that is the sari sari store ever present in neighborhoods all over the country, especially in the provinces.

?When it launched in the Philippines over five years ago, Starmobile aimed to be known for making high quality but accessibly priced mobile devices featuring the latest technologies,? said Balderrama.

?By also going into sari sari stores, we are able to fulfill our mission of making technology more inclusive, from product, pricing, and distribution standpoints.?

Star Inc. is constantly on the lookout for new avenues for its retail distribution including secondary and tertiary malls where foot traffic remains strong, he added.

Though the company aims to gain a foothold in underserved segments of the Philippine market, it continues to uphold the highest standards of quality in its product and service lines.

The Starmobile UNO B208
The Starmobile UNO B208

With the Filipino word ?Tatagal? as its new tagline, Starmobile promises durability among others, with its components, software, processes and partner factories certified and compliant with either the US or European standards for quality.

?We acknowledge the fact that the international brands are coming strong,? claimed Balderrama. ?We see this is an opportunity for us to strengthen our position as the leading quality local brand. We are not the most affordable local brand. But we can compete with the leading brands when it comes to quality.?

He added that the company also wants to be known as a value brand, hence has launched Value Combo Packages which consumers will find beneficial, practical, and convenient.

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