A trip to National Book Store before the start of the school year is certainly one of our fondest memories as a kid. Most of us undeniably had an experience buying a new notebook, crayons, ballpens, textbooks, or a complete back-to-school kit at a National Book Store.
If you’d like to offer the same experience to the next generation of kids and parents, then you might be interested to run your own National Book Store. In 2018, the company finally opened its doors to Filipino entrepreneurs looking to franchise this business.
About National Book Store
National Book Store (NBS) started in 1942, when founders Jose and Socorro Cancio-Ramos rented a small space at the foot of Escolta Bridge in Santa Cruz, Manila to set up their first outlet. The retail store initially sold American GI novels, textbooks, and school supplies and soon expanded and grew to become the go-to place when it comes to school and office supplies.
As of 2018, the company has more than 230 National Book Store branches nationwide, 11 of which are NBS Express stores.
Apart from its National Book Store outlets, the company also runs and owns subsidiaries such as Powerbooks, a specialty bookstore in the Philippines; Metrobooks, a bookstore based in Hong Kong; Art Bar, specialty store for arts and crafts; Noteworthy, for stationery and gift items; and Work Station, for office supplies and equipment. Anvil Publishing serves as the company’s publishing arm.
In 2015, the company planned to list in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) via a backdoor listing through Vulcan Industrial & Mining Corp., but this was eventually abandoned in 2017. National Book Store remains to be a private, family-run corporation until today.
How to Franchise NBS Express
In 2018, National Book Store announced it is launching a franchise program for NBS Express.
Compared to the full-store format of a typical National Book Store, NBS Express focuses on school and office supplies, with books only accounting for 10% of the inventory. As such, NBS Express stores are smaller in size, usually ranging from 200-400 square meters.
The required space for an NBS Express store franchise is at least 150 square meters.
Franchise Fee and Franchise Investment
Prospective franchisees of NBS Express are required to pay an initial franchisee fee of P450,000, which already includes the following package benefits:
- use of “National Book Store” trademark
- procurement program
- assistance in opening the store
- use of operating manual
- research and development and training for the franchisee and staff
- site / location approval
The total franchise investment, however, could reach around P6.4 million to account for the store’s construction and equipment.
On top of these cash outlays, the franchisee is also required to pay monthly royalties amounting to 1% of gross sales to National Book Store.
The initial franchise contract is valid for 10 years.
Contact Details
For inquiries regarding the NBS Express franchise, contact National Book Store at:
G/F Quad Alpha Centrum, 125 Pioneer Street
Mandaluyong, 1550 Metro Manila
Telephone Number: (02) 888-8627
Website: www.nationalbookstore.com
Interested in other franchises? View PinoyMoneyTalk’s Complete list of Philippine companies available for Franchising
Information and Image Sources: Business Mirror, Entrepreneur Philippines magazine, Official Company Website (www.nationalbookstore.com)
