Mercury Drugstore

Mercury Ave, Quezon City, Metro Manila

7 Mercury Avenue, corner E. Rodriguez
Quezon City
PH-1110
Philippines
Telephone: + 63 2 911 5071
Fax: + 63 2 911 6673
Web site: http://www.mercurydrug.com
Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Mercury Group of Companies, Inc.
Incorporated: 1945
Employees: 7,000
Sales: PHP 42.98 billion ($8.8 billion) (2003 est.)
NAIC: 446110 Pharmacies and Drug Stores
Mercury Drug Corporation is the Philippines' dominant pharmacy group.
The Quezon City-based company operates a national chain of more than 450
drugstores, including company-owned and franchised stores. Mercury Drug is
estimated to sell as much as 60 percent of all medicines sold each year in the
Philippines (the country's hospitals sell about 12 percent of medicines). Mercury
Drug's pharmacies follow the American model, combining drug and medical
equipment sales with over-the-counter medicines, personal care items, basic
household needs, cosmetics and other beauty products, and the like. Most of the
company's stores also are equipped to store and sell serums, blood plasma,
albumin, and similar biologically active medical products. In addition to its
drugstores, Mercury operates a chain of Mercury Drug Superstores. Generally
attached to the company's pharmacies, the Mercury Drug Superstores extend
the group's assortment to include convenience store and fast-food items. By the
mid-2000s, Mercury Drug Corporation operated more than 150 Mercury Drug
Superstores. Founded by Mariano Que, who first sold pills from a pushcart in the
1940s, Mercury Drug Corporation remains a privately held company. Leadership
of the company also remains in the family: The company's president is Mariano
Que's daughter, Vivian Que-Ascona. Mercury Drug is a subsidiary of the Mercury
Group of Companies, which governs other Que family interests, including the
10*Q convenience store chain and the Tropical Hut fast-food group. In 2003,
Mercury Drug's revenues amounted to nearly PHP 43 billion ($8.8 billion).

Company Perspectives:
The company's mission is continuously be the leading, trusted and caring
drugstore.
In 2004, the government stepped up its pressure. In September of the year, the
government passed legislation expanding drug discounts for the country's
senior citizens. The country's smaller independent drugstore owners protested
the decision, in part because it was expected to serve only to increase Mercury's
dominance over the marketas the country's largest retailer of pharmaceutical
products, Mercury was easily able to negotiate discounted prices from its
supplies. Also in that year, President Arroyo established the lowering of drug
prices as one of the government's priorities.
Mercury Drugstore through the Years
In December 2004, the Filipino government announced a new plan to break
what some were calling Mercury's "oligopoly" on the country's retail market. The
Philippine International Trading Corp. (PICT), owned and run by the Filipino
government, announced its intention to organize up to 300 of the country's
independent pharmacies into a new network of privately owned and operated
drugstores, dubbed "Botika ng Bayan." The new network would then sell drugs,
sourced by PICT directly from drug companies, at prices as much as six times
less expensive than "market"i.e., Mercury'srates.
Despite these pressures, Mercury Drug Corporation remained a fixture on the
Philippines pharmacy market. The company also remained one of the
Philippines' largest corporations, ranking in eighth place among the country's
largest corporations and third place among the corporations in the high-quality
services/products bracket. Mercury Drug appeared to have discovered its own
"miracle drug" for success.
Mercury Drug takes pride in the introduction of many firsts in the pharmacy
retail business -- all in an effort to satisfy, please and further serve the people.
It pioneered customer delivery service in 1948 and longer hours of service, with
a 17-hour service introduced in 1952 that evolved into the 24-hour service in
1965. Today, more than 100 Mercury Drug stores are open 24 hours.
It introduced the self-service concept in drugstore selling in 1963 at its first
Makati City store, which is today the model for all Mercury Drug stores to ensure
customer convenience.
In 1967, it installed a central computerized temperature-controlled warehousing
system; and in 1969, biological refrigerators in all its stores to preserve vaccines
and other life-saving medicines.
In 2000, Mercury Drug introduced a rewards system for its loyal customers
through its Suki Card that enables customers to earn good-as-cash points every
time they purchase. This was followed by mercuryTV in all its stores in 2002 to
provide daily doses of health education to customers.
In 2003, Mercury Drug launched its giant electronic billboard (mEB), an outdoor
health education and public service, in its Quiapo store. It also
introduced Gamot Padala offering customers various options to have their
orders served - Call Order Pick-up/Delivery, Order Online and Order Anywhere

Pick-up Anywhere - in any Mercury Drug store nationwide. Pharmacy

counseling in-store or call-in service was made available in 2011 to help
customers with their medication queries.
In 2012, it opened its first drive-thru pharmacy service in its San Juan City
Greenhills Ortigas store, followed by another one at its Bian City, Manila
Southwoods Ecocentrum Business Park in 2014. A third drive-thru service
opened in Makati City EDSA Danlig in 2015
In 2015, Mercury Drug launched its own mobile application to enable fast, easy
and convenient access to its services.
Indeed, Mercury Drug has come a long way from its humble beginnings in
Bambang St., Sta. Cruz, Manila. In the years to come, its spirit of service
continues to help keep the nation healthy.

Awards and Citations

In recognition of Mercury Drugs contributions to business and to the growth of
the pharmacy retail industry, the company has been awarded and cited by
various sectors.
It has been named "Retailer of the Year" by the Business Writers Association of
the Philippines in 1964, "Marketing Company of the Year" by the Philippine
Marketing Association's Agora Awards in 2004, "Outstanding Filipino Retailer" by
the Philippine Retailers Association in 2004,"Outstanding Retailer of
Pharmaceutical Products" by the Consumers Union of the Philippines in 2005, as
well as"Outstanding Filipino Retailer-Hall of Fame" by the Philippine Retailers
Association in 2005. It has also been consistently awarded by Retail Asia-Pacific
as one of the top performing retail companies in the Asia-Pacific region from
2004.
In 2014, Retail Asia presented Mercury Drug with the "Best-of-the-Best" Award,
in recognition of its business performance, value proposition, corporate social
responsibility and sustainability initiatives, core competencies/ competitive
advantages, and business strategy. This award is conferred on a select group of
retailers who have been nominated from the top-ranking retailers in each of the
14 Asia-Pacific economies and who are judged by an independent jury to stand
out with their clear and outstanding business strategies and their agility to
respond decisively to changes in their operating environment. Mercury Drug was
also recognized with a "Top 500" Award by the Singaporebased Retail Asia Publishing.
Its founder has likewise been the recipient of many awards

In 2012, Mariano Que was honored as"Father of Philippine Health and Wellness
Retailing" by the Philippine Retailers Association, "for being the pioneering spirit
behind health and wellness retail industry and for spurring an industry that
ensures that high quality medicines are always available within reach of
Filipinos, regardless of age or economic class."
In 2015, Mariano Que was conferred the honorary
degree,Doctor of Humanities, by the University of Santo Tomas,
for being the pioneering spirit behind the pharmaceutical retail
industry in the Philippines and in recognition of his deep
involvement in philanthropy and various advocacies.