Watsons Inspires Change and Impact – A Year of Doing Good for People, Community, Customers, and the Planet
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Watsons, the leading health, wellness, and beauty retailer, is dedicated to making a positive impact across four pillars: People, Community, Customers, and the Planet. Through these pillars, Watsons aims to uplift the health and well-being of the communities it serves, ensure a sustainable and healthy workforce, provide customers with sustainable options, manage supply-chain risk, and reduce its ecological footprint.
Watsons Inspires Change and Impact – A Year of Doing Good for People, Community, Customers, and the Planet
At the heart of Watsons’ business is its mission to inspire its customers to feel their best while looking good and doing good for themselves and those around them.
In 2022, the leading health, wellness, and beauty retailer made significant achievements in its mission to Do Good by inspiring both its employees and customers by making a meaningful impact on communities and the environment.
I. People
The health, beauty, and wellness retailer ended 2022 with an impressive 1,048 stores and a dedicated workforce of 9,228 employees, with an outstanding 98% of them being trained in sustainability practices.
Transforming its employees into sustainability advocates, the company initiated the Live Green campaign, a waste segregation initiative in its stores nationwide, which involves the active participation of its people.
In pursuit of nurturing talent and fostering leadership development, Watsons aims to achieve the Gold Health & Wellbeing certification from Investors in People by 2025.
II. Community
In line with its commitment to uplifting the health and well-being of underserved communities, it conducted medical outreach programs throughout the year.
In collaboration with Operation Smile Philippines, Watsons played a vital role in changing the lives of 116 children through cleft surgeries in 2022, bringing the total number of surgery beneficiaries since their partnership began in 2013 to 2,152. Additionally, Watsons provided medicines to 910 people through medical missions in 2022, contributing to a cumulative total of 6,579 beneficiaries since 2013.
Through the Alagang Pangkalusugan program, Watsons offered free doctor’s consultations and various screening services such as bone scanning, ECG, glucose check, eye check, and so much more, furthering its commitment to the community’s well-being.
Moreover, Watsons played an instrumental role in making COVID-19 booster shots accessible to more than 25,000 people nationwide by partnering with the Department of Health and various LGUs. Over 80,000 customers also received flu, pneumonia, and HPV vaccines from Watsons in 2022.
By 2030, Watsons aspires to perform 3,300 cleft surgeries and benefit 20,000 individuals through the provision of free medicines.
III. Customers
A key component of the Watsons Philippines ecosystem is its team of 1,702 trained pharmacists who played a pivotal role in guiding customers towards informed purchases. In 2022, customers were delighted to explore an extended selection of 1,632 Sustainable Choices products, reflecting Watsons’ dedication to providing more sustainable options.
To empower shoppers to make environmentally responsible choices, Watsons provided additional information and guidance on making eco-friendly purchases through the “ Do Good for the Community and the Planet Campaign.”
By 2025, Watsons aims to have 15% of sales derived from Sustainable Choices products and aims to collect 65,000 kg of trash by 2030.
IV. Planet
With a firm commitment to sustainability, Watsons made significant strides in adopting eco-friendly practices in 2022. A total of 1,691,000 plastic bottles were recycled within the Watsons ecosystem, while 25,454 kg of trash were collected, highlighting the retailer’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.
Among its eco-conscious measures, Watsons minimized the use of plastics in its e-commerce parcels by 79% and switched to 100% recycled packaging. The introduction of two Refill Stations contributed to a notable 46% growth in refills. As of end-2022, four Watsons stores nationwide integrated solar panels to harness renewable energy.
Energy-efficient appliances, such as LED lights and inverter air conditioners, were employed in Watsons stores to reduce electricity consumption. Smart switches for automatic light control and air curtains were also utilized to preserve energy. Store personnel received comprehensive training in energy-conserving practices and are now monitored and incentivized to achieve reduction targets.
Watsons took an active role in environmental conservation by partnering with CORA Philippines for a coastal cleanup project in the Las Piñas Parañaque Critical Habit and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA). Moreover, the retailer collaborated with Plastic Bank to recover plastic bottles from the ecosystem, minimizing local plastic manufacturing.
Through the Trash for Cash program, customers were encouraged to participate in recycling efforts with designated drop-off bins at participating SM malls, allowing them to exchange recyclables for discounts or vouchers from partner brands redeemable at Watsons stores.
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“Our heritage of Doing Good has brought about our passion to support the community and the planet. We are proud of many achievements – children whose lives we have transformed, families given access to health services and products, more sustainable products made available to our customers, drastic reduction of plastics in our packaging, and tons of plastics we have recycled. The task is too enormous. We have to continue on and accelerate our pace by building greener stores and investing more in renewable energy,” said Danilo Chiong, Watsons Philippines Managing Director.
Through its relentless pursuit of positive change and sustainable practices, Watsons continues to lead the way as a responsible and impactful retailer, promoting the well-being of people, communities, customers, and the environment.