The Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ANZCHAM) has expressed support to the expansion to the Philippines of KMart Australia’s lifestyle brand Anko, which opened its first physical store in Asia last week.

In a social media post, ANZCHAM said the opening of the store in Glorietta 2 in Makati City in joint venture with Ayala Malls “signifies a promising expansion into the Philippine market.”

“ANZCHAM is excited to support Australian businesses as they thrive and grow in the region,” the business group said.

ANZCHAM quoted Australian ambassador to the Philippines, HK Yu, who took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony as saying: “You will now be able to purchase and use, absolute, top quality products, where you do not have to compromise at all, but at a very, very low and affordable price-and who doesn’t like a good buy?”

Anko offers on-trend designs and value home products that are well-loved in Australia and New Zealand, ranging from homewares, storage solutions, bedding, beauty products, fitness gear to pet essentials

“The Philippines is a natural choice for Anko.  With over a hundred million people in the Philippines compared to our home market of 30 million, where we sell over a billion units annually, we see immense potential,” said Anko Philippines country manager Rachel Turner.

By designing its own products and working directly with manufacturers, Anko eliminates the usual retail markups, bringing high-quality items to customers at prices that make sense. This hands-on approach ensures that customers don’t have to compromise on quality, style, or functionality to create a home they love.

Anko is part of the Kmart Group and is owned by Wesfarmers Ltd., one of Australia’s leading companies.