Ministop Philippines will be rebranded by Gokongwei Group

25 January 2022

After buying out its Japanese partner Ministop, the Gokongwei Group will rebrand Ministop Philippines.

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI) president and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe noted that holding 100 percent of Ministop Philippines presents RRHI with a good opportunity, especially given the pandemic’s impact on customer behaviors and preferences.

“Ministop Japan decided to exit in some of their overseas markets, including the Philippines, and concentrate in their home market, so we said it was a good opportunity now to operate and repurpose the stores as we see fit,” Gokongwei-Pe told The STAR.

RRHI, the Gokongwei Group’s retail arm, announced yesterday that it would purchase Ministop Japan’s (MSJ) 40 percent ownership in Robinsons Convenience Stores Inc. (RCSI) in February through its wholly owned subsidiary, Robinsons Supermarket Corp.

This would bring RRHI’s ownership of the company to 100%, up from 60% now. RCSI is the Philippines’ official Ministop franchisee, with 460 Ministops around the nation.

According to RRHI’s disclosure, “under the new agreement with Ministop Japan, RRHI will continue to operate the stores using the Ministop brand within the transition period agreed upon with Ministop Japan, until they are repurposed and appropriately rebranded in consideration of strong ready-to-eat offerings such as Uncle John’s Fried Chicken and Kariman.”

Toppers, MySundae, and Chillz are more Ministop favorites.

Suresh Ramalinggam, general manager of Ministop Philippines, stated that the relaunched Ministop would offer new products as well as carry its current offerings in the future.

“While we continue to diversify our ready-to-eat menu and introduce new goods to the market, our stores will continue to stock our bestsellers.” Customers can also take use of our handy e-services and bill payment options, according to Ramalinggam.

Ministop Japan has been a valuable partner for Gokongwei-Pe over the years.

“We were able to provide to the public well-loved products and necessary services under the Ministop banner,” she said.

Ministop was founded in the Philippines by RRHI in collaboration with Ministop Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. in 2000.

In 2018, RRHI increased its position in the joint venture business by acquiring Mitsubishi’s shares, raising RRHI’s control to 60% from 51% earlier.

Ministop Philippines, which originated in Japan, has become one of the most well-known convenience stores in Metro Manila, the provinces of Luzon, and the Visayas.

The Gokongwei Group’s retail arm is RRHI. Supermarkets, department stores, DIY stores, convenience stores, medicine stores, and specialty stores are among its six business segments.