The Philippines. Brian says almost everyone told them it was a great market because shopping habits there are "very similar to the shopping habits of people in America," but they "didn't know where to start" until a network introduction to a brand family opened the door.
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Brian recounts that the Philippines looked great — rich in multiple cultures, plenty of coupons and digital transformation, brands trying to expand — "but we figured out that, like, we didn't know where to start." The breakthrough came through their network: "someone introduced us to a brand family within the Philippines, and they own the distribution rights of over 100 brands in the Philippines," plus their own shopping centres and their own marketing agency. They formed an alliance and the brand family "saw, you know, the potential immediately and became a partner in the region." His takeaway: "I think we're glad that we keep an open mind and we're lucky enough to still be agile to make these decisions."