WITH environmental consciousness increasingly becoming an important component for companies, a gasoline company has invested in its first sustainable retail station in Cebu.
Randy del Valle, Shell Global Networking planning manager, said the new Shell station on Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City, also known as Shell Mango, is the first in the world to feature green elements like solar panels, a self-irrigating plant wall, rainwater catchment and paint that converts air pollutants into breathable air.
“This is the first site that is customer-centric with a sustainable angle because we want the community’s voice to be heard,” del Valle said.
He said retailers familiar with the Cebu market continuously talk to customers and relay these concerns to them.
“Our retailers are our engine who talk to our customers because they really know the market. They also share with us what the customer wants so all the insights when we build are practically shared by our retailers and dealers. They are in tune with what the customer wants and then we ensure we co-create new things together,” he said.
In Cebu, del Valle identified six retailers who run the Cebu market.
Ricky Altonaga, Pilipinas Shell district manager for Visayas, said the station’s concept was co-created with the students and faculty of the University of San Carlos-North Campus, which is situated in front of the Shell Mango site.
“We designed it to make it into a community hub for students where they can study at the second floor, and also boost the local food brands in Cebu,” he said.
Altonaga said the Shell Mango station is company-owned, and the investment a franchisee could make depends on the size of the site and the market it can generate.
“We already invested a lot to provide our customers the best high technological equipment there is. Shell has a very strong presence in Cebu and the location on Gen. Maxilom Ave. is very important to the business,” he said.
In Metro Cebu, there are about 34 to 36 Shell branches.
Shell has 44,000 sites around the globe and plans to add 10,000 more by 2025.