POP MART International Group, a Chinese maker of toy collectibles, said it is interested in starting a food business in the Philippines alongside permanent retail stores, the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) said.
PFA Chairman Sam Christopher Lim said the company is interested in operating its own store network.
“I know they have been doing pop-up stores, but now they want to do permanent stores,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Franchise Asia Philippines 2025 Conference and Expo last week.
“That is one of the key things they were discussing with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), so that is more on a retail level,” he added.
“In Beijing, (Pop Mart) actually has a theme park with a bakery that’s doing very well,” he said.
“They said it can be replicated outside a theme park. So, they are looking for partners, but they are still (developing) their strategy. But what I am proud of is that they said that if they launched a food brand, they are looking at the Philippines as possibly one of their first (overseas) markets,” he added.
He said Pop Mart views the Philippines as a strong consumer market.
“Nothing is confirmed yet … I think they were just here to really explore the market a bit more. We are supporting them and giving them insights. I also let them meet some of our food companies,” he added.
Pop Mart operates pop-up stores in SM Makati and SM Mall of Asia. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
