AllHome Corp., the Villar-led listed retailer, said it saw an increased market interest in home appliances and essential items due to the pandemic, which pushed the government to implement lockdowns in varying degrees.
All Home vice chairman Camille Villar said its line of appliances and other items contributed significantly to sales growth, despite the imposition of a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ) in most of AllHome’s areas of operation.
“During the second quarter of this year, appliances contributed 40 percent of our sales, generated by our tactical pop-up stores placed near All Day Supermarkets. We recognized and capitalized on our All Value retail ecosystem, of which AllHome is an integral part,” Villar said.
As the country moved to a more relaxed GCQ, AllHome’s sales saw an improvement, with shoppers resuming their home projects and the reopening of select businesses.
Due to the pandemic, shoppers had a surplus of time at home, and their respective incomes were diverted from travel and nonessential entertainment to renovations and passion projects, the company said.
Many people, it said, started their do-it-yourself home improvement projects, while others bought new kitchen appliances to pursue culinary hobbies and refrigerator and freezers for their business ventures. Some purchased air conditioners to make their home cool and comfortable at the height of summer during the second quarter.
With the new normal of work from home arrangements and online classes, All Home said it also saw an increase in sales of furniture and equipment for home office and virtual classes.
“These shifts in shopper behavior cushioned somehow the disruption caused by the pandemic such as closure of stores and stoppage of construction activities during the ECQ,” it said.
AllHome pivoted to e-commerce during the pandemic after a Nielsen Philippines online survey Pandemic Impact on Shopping Behavior, fielded in April at the height of the Covid-19 situation showed that ABC segments are more positive that online shopping habits will continue post ECQ.
It further said the purchase of appliances and furniture in the ABC demographic remained unchanged by ECQ. Shoppers from the same segments foresee returning to usual online shopping for home appliances after the community quarantine.
“This community lockdown has pushed AllHome to find new channels to bring its products and services closer to its customers.” All Value Chairman Manuel B. Villar Jr. said.
All Value is the privately held holding firm of the Villar group.