Chatime recently forged an agreement with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (Shell) with the launch of the 1st Shell Mobility Station in Acienda, Silang, Cavite, making Chatime the first beverage brand to have a presence in what is dubbed as “Site of the Future” in the Philippines.

“We are privileged to partner with Shell in what could be considered a game-changing strategy,” said Christopher Cua, director, Finance and Marketing, Chatime. “With its further diversification, from fuel to other retail services such as convenience stores, car services, and F&B, Chatime is pleased to be a part of their overall objective of creating the customer experience of the future. Our first store in Shell Acienda caters to motorists as well as milk tea lovers in the surrounding areas,“

Taiwan’s largest bubble tea brand Chatime was founded in 2005 and has since grown exponentially serving millions of customers all over the world. In the Philippines, it was introduced in 2011 and is now recognized as one of the leading milk tea brands in the country with over 150 stores in Metro Manila and the provinces. Chatime brings to the Shell Mobility Station in Acienda, Silang, its core drinks, such as the signature and widely popular, Pearl Milk Tea.

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“This is a big opportunity for us as a brand because it now opens up over 1,000 potential Chatime locations,” Cua said. “One of our preferred models within the Shell network is what is called the clip-in model, wherein we open a counter within the Shell Select store. Given that we already have a strong presence within the malls, this partnership helps us increase our non-mall presence. Not every community is big enough to support the presence of a big shopping mall, but many of these communities have a demand for bubble tea and a gas station. We believe this is a big untapped market for us, especially in regions where commercial development is still picking up. These also serve as excellent delivery sites. Shell Mobility Stations will be a new hub for communities to get their basic needs and wants.”

Chatime continues to open new stores despite the pandemic, adding 21 branches to their network since March 2020.

Shell Philippines plans to launch around 60-80 mobility stations a year, on top of converting/renovating existing sites.

“We hope to capture about 20-30 of those per year in the beginning,” Cua said.