By Carlo P. Mallo
Homegrown supermarket and department store brand New City Commercial Complex, more commonly known as NCCC, is gearing up its position in both pricing and service in the minds of Dabawenyos as more and more national chains are entering the city.
Amidst talks that Puregold Price Club is set to open its first store in the city within the next 18 months, NCCC is rolling out promotions to maintain their status as top of mind brand when it comes to cheap wholesale prices.
“Yes, Puregold is our direct competitor. But we welcome the entry of national (supermarket) chains in the city as it will create a more dynamic and competitive market which will benefit the consumers,” Tracy Reyes, assistant procurement manager for non-food items of NCCC Supermarket said during an interview Friday.
Puregold is considered as a direct competitor of NCCC as both service the wholesale market segments. The entry of Puregold in the city is expected to eat up a certain portion of NCCC’s current market share. Aside from Puregold, NCCC is also facing other competitors like the Save More store of the SM brand, and wholesalers in the city’s Chinatown district, who also have their fair share of loyal customers.
To enhance their presence in the consciousness of Dabawenyos, NCCC rolled out several sub-brands in recent years like HB1, which serves as their convenience store brand, and Choice, which serves as their neighborhood supermarket brand.
“We have rolled out our loyalty program, strengthen our service, and we will continue to innovate to upgrade the shopping experience of our customers,” Reyes said.
Aileen Gajo, corporate communications officer of NCCC added that the group plans to expand in more areas inside and outside Davao City to capture a bigger market.
Without divulging any detail, Gajo said that the expansion will happen in areas north of the city. For HB1, a conservative estimate on the expansion plans is to bring the number of stores from 26 to 29 by the end of the year.
