Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company has established a one-stop-community-shop in Puerto Princesa City with the purpose of inspiring confidence by providing efficient and expert air conditioning solutions while making it more accessible to previously underserved markets.
The Carrier Community Shop: Prascold Refrigeration and Airconditioning Supply was inaugurated and opened on August 14 in Barangay San Miguel to provide a convenient and centralized location where customers can find a wide array of cooling solutions, access genuine parts & accessories, receive expert advice, and rely on quality services including air conditioning equipment supply, installation, repair & maintenance, and more.
Michael Dauden, Business Unit Head for AC Specialist Business of Concepcion-Carrier Airconditioning Company (CCAC) said the primary goal of the one-stop-shop air conditioning community shop is to offer a seamless, end-to-end experience for customers seeking anything related to air conditioning and making it easier for them to address their cooling needs, all in one place.
“Think of it like an air conditioning convenience store where there’s always one near you,” said Dauden. “It’s what we call our four-in-one business model. Aside from just equipment sales or selling the air conditioner itself, we also provide installation, service repair, and parts sales but the main emphasis is on reliable service.”
Dauden said that the community shop transcends the role of just another establishment selling air conditioning units into a one-stop-shop that brings utmost convenience to the residents and entrepreneurs of Puerto Princesa
“In Puerto Princesa, you have various options for purchasing air conditioners. However, if you prefer having a single point of contact for all your needs, that’s where the significance of the community shop comes into play,” he added.
He went on to highlight that the Carrier Community Shop has emerged as a solution to address the persistent problem of unstable power supply and frequent fluctuations/outages which may ultimately affect air conditioners and other electronic appliances. Having a community shop nearby makes it easier to have timely service response or unit replacement if necessary.
Dauden emphasized that this is of particular significance for Palawan’s tourism sector, as the possibility of malfunctioning air conditioning units can result in considerable economic losses for accommodations like hotels, resorts, apartments, and Airbnbs, potentially costing thousands of pesos per day, particularly during peak tourist seasons.
“Imagine when you aircon is broken, and you have a foreigner or a guest that’s there. If you were the owner of that hotel, or resort, or even an Airbnb, every day that your aircon is down, it’s going to cost a huge amount of money, right? Thousands… as much as 20,000 [pesos] during peak season a day,” he added.
The presence of the Carrier Community Shop will also eliminate downtime, ensuring continuity and stability, especially for the manufacturing facilities located in the area, which is reassuring not only to tourists but more importantly the investors.
Dauden further elaborated that the driving force behind establishing the one-stop-shop stemmed from the desire to extend their services to communities located in the fringes, which often lack official repair facilities. In these areas, people typically rely on brand outlets located within shopping malls for their repair needs.
“Because of the pandemic, there has been a need to be closer to the customers because in case of a lockdown like what we experienced a few years back, malls are one of the first establishments to be closed down,” he added.
Meanwhile, Joel Martinez, owner of Prascold Refrigeration which partnered with the Carrier Community Shop, highlighted the escalating need for air conditioning units on the island.
These days, he said rising temperatures has led to an increased demand for cooling solutions like air conditioners to maintain comfortable indoor environments.
“Given that the Philippines is a tropical country—our ambient temperature reaches up to 47 degrees. That’s quite hot for the body. And yet, we keep working relentlessly,” Martinez explained.
The Carrier Community Shop is a part of the Concepcion-Carrier’s C1000 program, a long-term goal aiming to establish 1,000 one-stop community shops nationwide, designed to alleviate customers’ difficulties in seeking repairs from locations outside the central business district.
Dauden stated that their choice to begin in Palawan was influenced by its geographical distance from the Metro Manila area, which posed a logistical challenge the company aimed to address.
While Concepcion-Carrier had previously established a Carrier Community Shop in El Nido, their decision to collaborate with Prascold in Puerto Princesa was based on the demographic distinctions between the municipality and the city.
Dauden observed that Puerto Princesa has multinational companies, all of which utilize a significant variety of appliances. “Considering this,” he mentioned, “we concluded that Puerto Princesa would benefit from having its own [community shop].”
“Fortunately, Prascold knows the technical aspects well, both for small and large systems, and they also understand the significance of standardized pricing, which is very important since air conditioning systems are a large portion of a company’s CAPEX.” Dauden commented.
Matt Mendoza, representing Mayor Lucilo Bayron, expressed gratitude to CCAC and Prascold for collaborating to establish a flagship store in the heart of the city.
“Your commitment to delivering exceptional quality products and services is truly praiseworthy and valued by the people of Puerto Princesa and Palawan as a whole. We thank you for selecting Puerto Princesa City as your investment destination,” said Mendoza.
In the future, the Carrier Community Shop intends to expand its offerings outside of just air conditioning but may also include other appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens and many other appliances under the different brands carried by Concepcion Industrial Corporation.
Situated on the 1st floor of the Prascold Building along the national highway in Brgy. San Miguel, the Carrier Community Shop is now open for your air conditioning needs.
