Lawson plans massive store rollout in Philippines

Lawson Philippines plans to grow its network from just 50 stores to about 500 within five years.

The planned expansion leans on a new agreement between the firm and local partner Ayala Corp.

Lawson had previously partnered with another local firm, Puregold Price Club, with an earlier rollout schedule. Plans were stymied when Puregold pulled out of the deal last year.

Lawson may also collaborate with its new partner’s e-commerce business, including making its store network available as shop-and-drop outlets.

According to reporting in Nikkei, Lawson oversees 2547 offshore locations as of August, up 30 percent from last year, with the majority being in China.