<p>&lt;h2&gt;Watsons: The Complete History of the Philippines&#39; Biggest Health and Beauty Retailer&lt;/h2&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>Watsons has become a household name in the Philippines. You will find it in nearly every SM mall, beside every grocery, and in almost every major city. </p><p>But how did this happen? And why did SM choose to partner with Watsons instead of Mercury Drug, the most established pharmacy chain in the country at the time?</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>In this episode of Brand Origins, we uncover the full history of Watsons in the Philippines and how it became one of SM&#39;s most powerful retail partners. </p><p>From its beginnings as A.S. Watson &amp; Co. in 19th century Hong Kong, to its rapid expansion across Asia, to the critical partnership with SM Investments, this episode breaks down how the brand grew from a small apothecary into one of the largest health and beauty retailers in the world.</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>We explore how Watsons built its reputation for trust, accessibility, and convenience, and how SM&#39;s business strategy helped the brand dominate the Philippine market.</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>&lt;h2&gt;Timestamps&lt;/h2&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;00:00 – Intro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;00:58 – Henry Sy&#39;s Vow to Crush Mercury Drug&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;02:40 – How Britain Took Hong Kong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;06:49 – The Hong Kong Dispensary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;07:55 – A.S. Watson&#39;s Rapid Growth&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;10:17 – Watsons Water&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;11:07 – Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;11:23 – How Li Ka-Shing Acquired the Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;12:02 – Brands A.S. Watson Owns&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;14:20 – Watsons in the Philippines&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;15:08 – Watsons&#39; Secret Cash Cow (Optimo)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;18:39 – Watsons Pink&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;19:43 – Outro&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>&lt;h2&gt;Sponsorships&lt;/h2&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>Want your brand to be featured in future episodes?&lt;br&gt;</p><p>Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://chrisgarin.com&quot;&gt;chrisgarin.com&lt;/a&gt; for sponsorship opportunities, partnerships, or collaboration inquiries.</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p><br></p>

Brand Origins

Chris Garin

Why SM chose Watsons over Mercury Drug | Complete History

OCT 18, 202520 MIN
Brand Origins

Why SM chose Watsons over Mercury Drug | Complete History

OCT 18, 202520 MIN

Description

<p>&lt;h2&gt;Watsons: The Complete History of the Philippines&#39; Biggest Health and Beauty Retailer&lt;/h2&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>Watsons has become a household name in the Philippines. You will find it in nearly every SM mall, beside every grocery, and in almost every major city. </p><p>But how did this happen? And why did SM choose to partner with Watsons instead of Mercury Drug, the most established pharmacy chain in the country at the time?</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>In this episode of Brand Origins, we uncover the full history of Watsons in the Philippines and how it became one of SM&#39;s most powerful retail partners. </p><p>From its beginnings as A.S. Watson &amp; Co. in 19th century Hong Kong, to its rapid expansion across Asia, to the critical partnership with SM Investments, this episode breaks down how the brand grew from a small apothecary into one of the largest health and beauty retailers in the world.</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>We explore how Watsons built its reputation for trust, accessibility, and convenience, and how SM&#39;s business strategy helped the brand dominate the Philippine market.</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>&lt;h2&gt;Timestamps&lt;/h2&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;00:00 – Intro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;00:58 – Henry Sy&#39;s Vow to Crush Mercury Drug&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;02:40 – How Britain Took Hong Kong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;06:49 – The Hong Kong Dispensary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;07:55 – A.S. Watson&#39;s Rapid Growth&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;10:17 – Watsons Water&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;11:07 – Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;11:23 – How Li Ka-Shing Acquired the Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;12:02 – Brands A.S. Watson Owns&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;14:20 – Watsons in the Philippines&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;15:08 – Watsons&#39; Secret Cash Cow (Optimo)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;18:39 – Watsons Pink&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p>&lt;p&gt;19:43 – Outro&lt;/p&gt;</p><p>&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>&lt;h2&gt;Sponsorships&lt;/h2&gt;</p><p><br></p><p>&lt;p&gt;</p><p>Want your brand to be featured in future episodes?&lt;br&gt;</p><p>Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://chrisgarin.com&quot;&gt;chrisgarin.com&lt;/a&gt; for sponsorship opportunities, partnerships, or collaboration inquiries.</p><p>&lt;/p&gt;</p><p><br></p>