Chapter I Introduction the Researcher Presents an Overview of the Company Name National Bookstore Zabarte. Brief Background of the Study National Book Store Is the Largest Bookstore Chain in the Philippines with 128

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The researcher presents an overview of the company name National bookstore Zabarte.

Brief Background of the study

National Book Store is the largest bookstore chain in the Philippines with 128 branches in the country. It opened its first overseas branch, in Hong Kong, in September 2007. National Book Store is a joint venture of retail giants SM Prime Holdings (75%) and Ayala Corporation (25%). Robinsons Land Corporation and Mega world Corporation exited the twenty year-old National Book Store retail joint venture on 1 January 2010.

Founded by the late Jose Ramos along with his wife Socorro Cancio-Ramos, the company has evolved from a small stall into the most popular bookstore chain in the Philippines.

The first National Book Store started as a stall shop in Escolta where it sold supplies, GI novels, and textbooks. When World War II broke out, strict book censorship forced them to shift their trade to soap, candies, and slippers. They bought their merchandise from wholesalers and peddled them to smaller retailers.

The whole Escolta area was burned to the ground during the Battle of Manila and the couple was forced to rebuild by initially making a "barong-barong" (makeshift stall) in the corner of Soler and Avenida Rizal, in time to catch the post-war business boom. They went back to business by selling textbooks, notebooks, pad paper, and pencils. Business went very well to their favor as there were only few stores that sold school supplies and books at that time. National Book Store's opening was strategically timed to welcome the first postwar school year.

In 1948, Typhoon Gene destroyed the store and soaked all the merchandise. the couple with their family decided to rebuild again, and slept for only three hours a day, spending the rest of their hours at work. They eventually constructed a two-story building with a mezzanine, which was to become their retail store for many years.

In the 1950s, Socorro Cancio-Ramos thought of...