Mobile Networks unfazed by stiffer competition

AMID stiffer competition in the mobile phone market, a homegrown retail shop remains unfazed and has continued to innovate to address demands of the growing market. It is also pushing for expansion in the next two years, with 40 more branches.

With its 60 existing branches scattered all over the country, Davao City-based Mobile Networks is considered one of the largest chains of mobile phone stores in the country today, providing the market with wide array of products and services that suit its customers' budget.

"And we will continue to expand. We can't keep still. We have to aim for more or better, considering the fact that competition in the market becomes stiffer and more players in the telecommunications industry have emerged," Roy G. Rodrigo, Mobile Networks owner, told Sun. Star in an interview.

He said the company is eyeing to expand to at least 100 branches by 2015 with Northern Mindanao, Caraga Region, Central Mindanao, Visayas regions and Northern and southern Luzon as expansion areas.

At present, Mobile Networks is present in almost all key cities in the country and has already set up 13 branches in Davao City alone.

"We are looking at areas where products and services of cellular phone shops are very limited. We want to go near our target market," Garcia said, adding that they will also continue to innovate to further improve their hold in the mobile phone market.

Mobile Networks caters to all segments of the market as it offers low-end to higher-end cellular phones -- both local and foreign brands.

"The market is there and still growing. As long as technology continues to provide new features on mobile phones, the market will remain," Garcia said, adding that the entry of new players in the telco industry is one proof that the market demand continues to grow.

For 2012 alone, he said, there were at least five mobile phone manufacturing companies that entered the market, each has been coming up with new designs and features on their mobile phones.

"Most of these new players are Filipino-owned, offering affordable units that carry almost the same features as other basic phones or smartphones offered by established brands," Garcia said, adding that the entry of more players only benefitted the market.

"The market has now a choice," he said.

Garcia established Mobile Networks 12 years ago with its first outlet at Gaisano Mall of Davao, when the telco industry in Davao City was still in its infancy stage.

"Our first store is still there and doing good business," Garcia said.
What made the business thrive at the time was "our successful marketing strategy" that widely accepted by the market.

"We are the first to come up with this structure, the trade in concept. We buy old phones and re-sell it. At the time, cellular phones are like status symbol. Pag me bagong design, users want to have their own agad. So i-trade in yong old phone to get a new one," Garcia said.

Five years ago, when local brand MyPhone entered the market, Mobile Networks ventured into coming up with a concept store for the brand.

"We are the first to have established a MyPhome concept store in Mindanao, although were not the sole distributor of the brand. And the brand, with its dual SIM, which was a new feature on mobile phones, was widely accepted by the market," Garcia said.