Such a move, according to the company, is part of its direction to make its products more accessible to Filipinos across the country.
“We reiterate our vision for Balai to be part of each Filipino household’s daily habit. We have further expanded the distribution of our baked goods outside our stores and we see great prospects in this initiative. We are further exploring opportunities to make Balai Pandesal more accessible to Filipinos across the nation,” said Lester Yu, Balai president and chief executive officer.
Supermarkets in Cebu initially carrying Balai Pandesal baked goods include Gaisano Country Mall, Gaisano Main Colon, and Gaisano Market Square. Balai Pandesal baked goods are also available in two branches of 24 Summit Pharmacy in Cebu.
Additional Metro Gaisano supermarkets are expected to carry Balai Pandesal products soon. These include branches in Ayala Center Cebu, Super Metro Colon, Metro Colon, Super Metro Lapu-Lapu, and Super Metro Mambaling.
The company said this latest development complements the growing online presence of Balai Pandesal in Cebu. Patrons of Balai Pandesal in Cebu can purchase its baked goods through www.balaimart.com, Fruitas Holdings’ group wide e-commerce website. At the same time, Balai Pandesal is also available in more locations in Cebu through GrabFood and FoodPanda.
Balai Pandesal has an anchor store in Cebu located at 30 Cabarrubias St., Tisa, Cebu City. Seven other community stores within the Fruitas network in Cebu, including five Soy & Bean, one House of Fruitas, and one Fruitas House of Desserts, also sell Balai Pandesal baked goods.
Balai ni Fruitas Inc. is a 75 percent-owned subsidiary of Fruitas Holdings Inc. Since the acquisition of certain assets of Balai Pandesal in June 2021, the company has grown the Balai Pandesal store network from five to more than 40.
The company has three brands in its portfolio: Balai Pandesal, Buko ni Fruitas, and Fruitas House of Desserts. Balai ni Fruitas currently has more than 90 active stores spread among the three brands.
Balai has registered a stellar year in 2022, with nine-month revenues at P234 million, 164 percent ahead of the same period in 2021. Net income for the first nine months of 2022 was P23 million, which translates to a net margin of 10 percent.