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National Book Store Wants to Double Branches to 500 Amid E-Commerce Drive Third-generation managers still plan to open at least 20 branches a year By Pauline Macaraeg | Oct 1, 2017

National Book Store, the Philippines’ biggest bookshop and office supplies chain, plans to double its physical store network to 500 in the next few years, all the while strengthening its online presence and enhancing customers’ user experience. Founded in 1942 by Socorro "Nanay Coring" Ramos, National Book Store is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Xandra Ramos-Padilla, National Book Store’s managing director and granddaughter of Nanay Coring, said they are still betting on brick-and-mortar shops amid the rise of ecommerce. She said the company builds around 20 stores a year.

“I think Filipinos still like to shop, and they're going to the mall anyway, so they might as well pass National Book Store,” she said in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel aired on September 27. National Book Store’s plans to expand its physical stores while ramping up its online presence underscore the rise of so-called “omni-channel" retailing that provides customers a seamless shopping experience from offline to online, from physical stores to the web or mobile applications. In recent years, at least 20 online stores, including Amazon, the world’s biggest ecommerce company, have opened physical outlets to forge closer ties with customers and raise online traffic and sales. National Book Store recently launched its 227th branch, in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and is set to open another one in Tuguegarao, Cagayan in October. It is targeting to open 240 stores by the end of the year. Ramos-Padilla explained that evaluating a location includes careful planning and assessment of area traffic and prospective store sales. “We really like to reach as many Filipinos as we can, so students don't have to travel far to get their school needs. But we have to pick and choose [the right location],” she told ANC.

How National Book Store gets millennials hooked with its new look Even icons need to reinvent to keep up with the times By Elyssa Christine Lopez | Nov 9, 2016

More than 70-year-old National Book Store is no exception to the rule of reinvention. From sporting a savvy persona in Instagram through a highly effective imagedriven campaign, the bookstore retail legend finally brings the transformation to its branches as well, launching the new look of one of its flagship stores last Tuesday, November 8, in SM North Edsa. “All over the world, bookstores are evolving. We’re stretching the limits to what bookstores can carry. What complements books? So we’re adding more products to the mix with a new shopping experience,” National Book Store (NBS) managing director Sandra Ramos-Padilla told Entrepreneur Philippines. NBS tapped renowned French designer Malherbe to lead the store’s 1500 sqm space redesign. The result is a brighter and more spacious bookstore, thanks to the strategic locations of different shopping sections and the distinct indoor spotlights. “We wanted to make the store more ‘shoppable’ so we shifted the layout. This way, the shopper can seamlessly transfer from one section to another,” Padilla said. “We also now have [an] arts and crafts zone and [an] office zone, which features stationeries, gifts and workplace needs.” Unlike other branches, the store no longer features floor-to-ceiling built-in wall shelves, which usually creates a cramped feel. Instead, shelves are all reachable by an average shopper with backlighted-signages of different products and brands installed. This way, any shopper that steps inside the premises get a bird’s eye-view of where each section is located.

Pens and art supplies can now also be tried and tested by a shopper, unlike in other branches where a customer would still need staff assistance. Only upscale and high-end pens are inside guarded counters. The Kids Zone also now features toys, bags and school needs, on top of a bigger collection of children’s books. Padilla said SM Seaside Cebu now also sports the new look, while SM Megamall and Powerplant Mall branches are set to be the next in line for renovations.

National Bookstore: An accidental brand Get to know National Bookstore's interesting and inspiring story. By Mary Anne M. Velas | Jun 1, 2015

How National Book Store (NBS) evolved as a brand and corporate name is an interesting case of non-marketing. Many marketing experts would not consider it a purposive branding effort. Some might even dismiss it as simply a branding anomaly that worked. That could be because the company’s founders picked “national” as a brand because it just happened to be there when they needed one. In this sense, it is an accidental brand that somehow just lived up to the ambitious promise of its name. As Mrs. Socorro Ramos, the family matriarch behind the phenomenal success of NBS, recalls laughing, she actually had chosen the name of her fledgling business on pure impulse: “I just copied it from the brand of the National Cash Register machine that was popular at the time.” No marketing researches, no gimmicks, no expensive media blitzes went into the brand or the business. She and her husband, Jose Ramos, did not even have a business plan, and neither did they think they were doing a branding activity at all. They just wanted to sell books and greeting cards at the lowest price possible, and up to this day Nanay Coring— as her employees fondly call—still insists that NBS is still very much the family sarisari store that she began with. How NBS achieved market leadership and top-of-mind recall as the country’s “national bookstore” is a hard-knocks business success story, one that marketing academicians and business-school-educated entrepreneurs would find unbelievable. And it is a story that mirrors in many ways the unwavering drive, perseverance, and temperament of the company’s founders, particularly Nanay Coring.

A natural salesperson Nanay Coring, who was born to a poor family, is a salesperson through and through. When she was young, she would sell just about anything during summer vacations to raise money for her school notebooks and snacks. She grew up literally selling, and by the age of 18 already got herself employed as a salesgirl by the Goodwill Bookstore along old Azcarraga St. (now Claro M. Recto Avenue) in Manila. That store was owned by the book-selling Ramos family, and as things turned out, it was there that she would meet her future husband, Jose Ramos, whom she married in 1942.

In the middle of World War II, during which the Philippines was under Japanese occupation, the newlyweds decided to go on their own. With a startup capital of P211 (equivalent to about P15,047 in current pesos when adjusted for inflation), they rented a small corner space in a haberdashery store at the foot of the Escolta Bridge in Sta. Cruz, Manila. They built their first retail bookshop there, selling books as well as soap, candies, and slippers. Practically just a small hole off the sidewalk, the store would look like a poor cousin of today’s typical NBS outlet, but it prospered. Unfortunately, the store got burned down when the American-Filipino forces liberated Manila in 1945. The Ramos couple then rebuilt it, but a strong typhoon knocked it down not long after, turning all of their stocks into pulp. Undiscouraged, the Ramos couple rebuilt the store again, but this time in another location: a vacant lot in Soler Street several city blocks away. They actually wanted a place with better foot traffic but still didn’t have the money for it. But by the early 1960s they were able to save enough, so they bought a much-coveted vacant lot along Rizal Avenue, just across Soler St. in what was then Manila’s busiest commercial district. There, in 1963, they constructed a nine-story building that became National Book Store’s first real home. In the next several years, NBS got enough capital to diversify into the reprinting of foreign-made greeting cards for the Philippine market. It first carried the popular Gibson line of greeting cards, but lost the importing rights after carrying it for a few years. Not one to cry over it, the Ramos couple took the setback as an opportunity to bid for the franchise of another global greeting card brand, Hallmark, which at that time had become the market leader. They were actually the underdogs because a more established company also bid for the same franchise. With grit and persistence, however, Nanay Coring outbid the competitor and got the Hallmark franchise in 1973.

Unprecedented growth In the next three decades, NBS grew to a point that the Ramos couple didn’t bother anymore to advertise or promote their stores. The word-of-mouth reputation of the company’s fast-growing branch network was enough. This time, companies building new malls and major residential subdivisions would go to the Ramoses to invite them to set up new branches—not the Ramoses going to them to propose the idea. Finally gone were the days when Nanay Coring, by her own recollection, had to walk the streets all by her lonesome and beg customers to buy her merchandise. In 1988, in fact, NBS made it to the roster of the top 100 Philippine corporations, with profits of $1 million on gross revenues of $34.7 million. By 2004, the company had grown to a point that it ranked 308th in the Retail Asia-Pacific Top 500, a list that

includes the 14 national economies in the region. Today, NBS is firmly in control of 80 percent of the Philippine book market. It is currently operating 127 branches nationwide and Metrobooks, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary store that opened in Hong Kong in 2007. Without sophisticated business and marketing plans as well as aggressive advertising and promotions, what made it possible for National Book Store to become a runaway success? Nanay Coring gives a very simple, straightforward answer: “We price low. We don’t fool people. We buy at a certain price, then just put in a little margin. That’s how we put value to our customers. It is very important to be truthful to them.” One of the company’s strategies for bringing down prices is to approach publishers directly, even those overseas, and negotiate either better wholesale prices or permission to reprint their titles in the Philippines. Under this arrangement, for instance, NBS was able to sell 75,000 copies of the worldwide bestseller The Da Vinci Code in just six months, and this sales volume has further grown to 150,000 copies as of this writing—the biggest sales of the title by any country in Southeast Asia.

Consistent through and through For over 50 years since setting up shop, NBS had used a logo that featured the store’s name in longhand in a white background serrated by red stripes. How it was chosen was typical of how Nanay Coring decides on such matters. “That design is mine,” she recalls. “I made that logo myself. While I was wrapping something, I saw this striped wrapper, cut it out, and then put the logo of National in the middle. My girls said it looked good so we stayed with it.” That unmarketing-like remark would dismay brand managers and designers, and the Ramos couple’s children must have reacted the same way when their mother said as much when they proposed in 1996 to change the NBS logo. The company had by then become a family corporation, and the Ramos children and grandchildren thought it was time for the logo to have a more modern look. The family matriarch was horrified when presented the new design, which still has the store’s name in longhand but this time in a more modern type of font. They did away with the stripes and instead used a solid red background. “I didn’t want any change at all,” she recalls, “but then I was outvoted. Fifteen were in favor of the new design, and I was the only one against it. I cried after that! Their design looked good but I still like my own design anytime. But eventually I relented. I had to let them to make their own decisions because that’s the best way for them to learn.”

National Book Store: 75years with no signs of stopping MANILA, Philippines --To run a good business, some would say, is to focus on the bot- tom line. Think of it as a machine fueled by efficiency, in which eliminating human error ensures that it runs as smoothly as possible. Think with logic, focus on the numbers. Good business, they say, is all about the mind. But in the 1940s, a young woman and her husband began what would defy such norm. Renting out a small corner space in downtown Manila, they set up their first retail bookstore selling novels, textbooks, and supplies. It was just like any other store on any other street in Manila, one that could have been swept away by the devastation of World War II. This humble store, however, eventual- ly became the most successful bookstore in the Philippines, one that not only with- stood war, but prospered for 75 years. Socorro Ramos, fondly referred to as Nanay Coring, and her late husband Jose Ramos were the brains behind National Book Store, turning their humble dream into a haven for millions of Filipinos. It was Nanay Coring who embodied the ideals that made the bookstore chain such a success, emphasizing that sipag at tiyaga(hardwork and dedication) were key to what made a business successful. Many who have written about Nanay Coring’s life have often said that her attention to detail is peerless; during her active years in the business, the head of NBS herself would ensure that the book displays were attractive, that customers were being at- tended to, and that even the floor looked impeccable. (And if it weren’t, she would sweep it herself.) In fact, Nanay Coring’s own grand- daughter Xandra Ramos-Padilla, Na- tional Book Store’s managing director, recalls how her grandmother’s lessons are integral to how she runs things today. “I did the management rotation program, where my Lola let me work in different departments. It allowed me to meet a lot of people in the company. So actually now, I let the newcomers go through the same thing. They have to spend a few days in the store and visit different departments,” Xandra explains. “In my own experience, I had to spend a few days in the Megamall branch, so it was very busy. I even remember cashiering.” Nanay Coring gave a new definition to what it meant to have a family business: she not only treated her staff like family and welcomed her family as part of the company, but she saw her customers as her family, too. It’s hard to believe that such close attention to detail wouldn’t lead to obsession, but Nanay Coring managed to steer the company with grace and aplomb. She gave a new definition to what it meant to have a family business: she not only treated her staff like family and welcomed her family as part of the company, but she saw her customers as her family, too. It’s been said that

Nanay Coring always wanted to make sure that Filipino readers always got the best deals, so when she would speak to international publishers, she would make sure that books could be sold locally at prices that are friendly to Filipino pockets. That is perhaps the success of Nanay Coring’s business formula. Even with hundreds of branches and thousands of employees, she still treated NBS like a small business — one that wasn’t just motivated by good numbers, but also by a good sense of advocacy. She wanted to sell books because she knew how impor- tant it was for many people to keep on reading. She was, in her own way, raising a nation of readers. In her decades in the book business, Nanay Coring has become a captain of in- dustry. She has become widely respected for her tenacity and her honest to good- ness desire to create a community of book lovers. (In fact, her many nuggets of wis- dom can be read in her latest biography, An Open Book, written by her daughter Cecilia Ramos-Licauco and published by Anvil Publishing.) National Book Store, with its 75 years and more than 228 branches, can attribute its success to many factors, but no one can deny that Nanay Coring had been instrumental to that. And with her typical businesssavvy, she made sure the future of the company would be in good hands. She knew that her granddaughter, Xandra, would be the woman for the job. FUTURE-PROOFING According to Xandra, she had always wanted to follow in her Lola’s footsteps. Even while she was young, she had al- ready looked up to how her Lola ran the business, and realized in due time that her grandmother was right: there was no elevator to success.

Xandra knew that to keep National Book Store as successful as ever, it was integral to found her leadership with Nanay Coring’s values at its core. “The biggest challenge for me as a leader is to build the culture founded on Lola’s teaching,” Xandra says. “From there, how does it relate now? We have a lot of new people. Fifty-percent of our employees are millennials, both in the stores and at the head office. A lot have joined in the last five years, so it’s about mixing the old with the new. It’s about making sure everything works synergistically.” And when it comes to mixing the old and the new, Xandra also wanted to bring something new to the table, something that she could add to the legacy that her lolastarted. “This has always been part of the company, but I really promote a team-oriented culture. It was part of my training at Kellogg [School

of Manage- ment]. You really get to work with people of different cultures and backgrounds. I also encourage learning within the team, and developing a love for books. I believe that it’s very important to have a vision for the future, to future-proof the brand. We want to make sure we always have good customer service. We always want to curate the products, and focus on the customer experience.” To further emphasize the importance of the National Book Store customer experience, the company decided to revamp its stores — starting with their SM North EDSA branch, one of their busiest stores. They’re also looking to renovate their SM Megamall branch, another pedestrian-heavy store, next. “We wanted a seamless integration between books and stationery, where the products were laid out in such a way that you could easily search for an item,” says Xandra.

It was up to Xandra’s brother Anton Ramos, who handles business development for the brand, to take charge of the creative conceptualization of the new store design. Not only did Anton ensure that their NBS gets a makeover, but he also helmed the company’s new specialty stores: Art Bar, Noteworthy, and Work Station. Xandra says that her brother even consulted with artist friends to make sure that their stores are conducive to the needs of professionals and enthusiasts, and that the right products are stocked to indulge every passion. NEW SPACES An even deeper focus on the cus- tomer experience is perhaps what led to National Book Store embracing the digital age more and more. They may be selling old school paper and print, but make no mistake: they have prime real estate in the digital space, too. The brand’s popular social media platforms, @nbsalert, are engaging younger audi- ences with campaigns such as their Read Out Loud Challenge, which en- courages people to read their favorite books and post it online. For every 75 videos posted, National Book Store pledges to help set up a library in a public school. They’re currently past the halfway mark, and aim to amass more than 7,500 videos to be able to give 100 public schools library makeovers.

They also try to keep up with pop culture all over the world, bringing not only classic books but also those that are defining the zeitgeist. “Whatever is going on in the online world, we try to bring in books related to those interests. Or for

example, there was the Harry Potter play, or Hamilton... we wanted to bring in products related to that because we knew our readers would appreciate it.”? With over 200 stores (the latest of which opened at SM Puerto Princesa), it seems that National Book Store is every- where. But with the growing popularity of e-commerce, the store launched its own e-commerce site in 2012, catering to an even wider audience of readers. This year, they’re further developing the site, making the customer experience even more seamless by adding new features. Xandra also shares that a mobile app for National Book Store is also in the works. But going beyond just ensuring great customer service, National Book Store marked its 75th year by staying true to one of Nanay Coring’s original advocacies, which is to educate Fili- pino students. The National Book Store founder has always been committed to the mission of educating Filipinos by making books and school supplies as affordable and accessible as possible. National Book Store is now entering the education industry by creating its own tertiary education institution called the NBS College. “We’re going to offer courses like BS Accountancy, BS Entrepreneurship, and BS Library and Information Science,” shares Xandra. The school is located at the National Book Store building on the corner of Quezon Avenue and Sct. Borromeo, and is easily accessible, given its proximity to EDSA. The college will initially focus on six courses: BS Accountancy, BS Ac- counting Information System, BS Entre- preneurship, BS Computer Science, BS Library and Information Science, and BS Tourism Management. With almost 5,000 square meters of space, the school will initially have seven classrooms, two computer laboratories, a business simulation room, a full-service library, a multi-purpose hall, a cafeteria, as well as support offices and facilities. Seven-five years is a long time, and National Book Store has proven that it pays to be productive. Not only have they made strides in becoming a market leader in the book busi- ness, but they have, in many ways, become part of every Filipino’s life. To be a National Book Store customer is to become a member of its family. And much like how they run things in-store, Xandra and her family remain as involved in the business as Nanay Coring was, many years ago. Xandra’s other brother, Adrian Ramos, is the company’s chief financial officer. And even during their busiest days, the Ramos family never fails to have lunch together in the officewhere they take opportunity to consult with their dad Alfredo Ramos, the president of the company.Xandra’s mom,Presy, brings food from home. When asked how their family manages to

make it work, Xandra infers that it is perhaps over a shared love for what they do. “I don’t know yet the perfect recipe to a successful family business,” Xandra admits with a laugh. “Obviously, we’re not gonna agree on everything, but we want the same things. It’s a matter of talking and threshing it out, and figuring out what’s best for the company.” Businesses come and go, but the successful ones withstand time and trials for different reasons. National Book Store, it seems, thrives because it’s run by passionate people who treat it like home. And that is perhaps why everyone grew up with National Book Store, why everyone has a National Book story close to their hearts. For the last 75 years, we could never resist a visit to National Book Store. After all, it’s always nice to visit family.

How to Franchise: 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

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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.\

https://www.businessnews.com.ph/national-bookstore-finally-opensbusiness-for-franchising-20180729/

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National Book Store Express National Book Store Express (NBEX) is the convenience store format of National Book Store. Originally meant to serve communities and neighborhoods in Metro Manila, the brand has since expanded to the rest of the Philippines with 8 stores in Luzon and 1 in Mindanao, in addition to the 7 stores in NCR. The first branch was established in 1997. National Book Store Express (NBEX) operates from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm to be able to serve student customers before they go to school, as well as office workers and business owners, after work.

How to franchise NBEX: NBEX FRANCHISE INFORMATION National Book Store offers franchisees decades of retail experience and management knowledge. We will assist you through the process of opening your own NBEX outlet. As an NBEX franchisee, you need to have an entrepreneur spirit, a successdriven mindset, and the willingness to take risks. You must be willing to undergo training, work within our framework, and devote time to oversee and manage day-to-day store operations.

Upon signing of the Franchise Agreement, you have to pay a Franchise Fee to cover the cost of training, opening assistance, operational manual, and the use of our trademark. You will be in charge of building the store according to our specifications and delivering our products to customers. The success of your store will depend on your ability to provide quality customer service and a clean, safe, and friendly retail environment. The contract will be effective for a period of 10 years and is renewable upon the mutual agreement of concerned parties. FRANCHISE DETAILS Initial Fee: Php450,000.00 Inclusions:  

Use of Trademark Procurement Program  Training for Franchisee and Staff  Opening Assistance  Site Approval  Use of Operations Manual  Research and Development Initial Term: Ten (10) years Royalty Fee: 1% of Gross Sales Capital Requirement: Php6 Million Required Space: 150 square meters Steps to own a NBEX Franchise 1. Send bio-data together with your Letter of Intent to: NBS Express 125 Quad Alpha Centrum Bldg., Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City Tel: 631-8061 to 66 2. We will review your application. 3. You will be invited to discuss franchise details. 4. We will present you with the Franchise Disclosure Information. 5. Your proposed location will be examined. 6. The Franchise Agreement will be executed. 7. Outlet set-up and staff training will commence.

8. We will provide pre-opening and marketing assistance. 9. Congratulations on your Grand Opening!

75 Years of Endless Discoveries For the past years, we have remained close to the hearts of millions of Filipinos across generations. No matter what point they are in their lives, they will always have a home here in National Books Store - for readers, artists, students, and whole families. We are proud to remain a constant in everyone's journey , nurturing the passions and inspiring the growth of every Filipino.Our founders, Socorro Cancio - Ramos , Jose Ramos, and their family , embodied hard work and powerful leadership and persevered against all odds. Their once small stall in Escolta, despite having been burnt to the ground during the Japanese occupation and later ravaged by a typhoon, persevered and prospered amidst adversity. It is this resilience and relentlessness that took us to heights they once thought were impossible.Their journey is an inspiration for Filipinos everywhere, and a reminder of the humble beginnings of one of the country's most loved institutions. Our History In the 40's 1942 National Book Store was established by Jose and Socorro Ramos

1945 National Book Store re-opened in Avenida Rizal after burning it during the Liberation

1948 Typhoon Gene struck the country and ruined NBS

In the 60's 1965

Inauguration of the nine story building in Avenida which was christened as the AlBeCer Buidling

1969 Opening of the National Book Store - Rizal Avenue

In the 70's 1970 Opening of the National Book Store - Recto

1972 Opening of National Book Store Araneta Coliseum

1974 National Book Store got the licensee from Hallmark Opening of National Book Store in Quad Arcade

In the 80's 1982 National Book Store Superbranch in Cubao was opened

1987 National Book Store opened its first Visayas branch in Mango Cebu Avenue

National Book Store Head Office Quad Alpha was operationalized Union Alliance of Concerned Employees of NBS was established

1988 Cacho Publishing, Inc. was established

In the 90's 1990 Implementation of NBS' Cut Price sale Establishment of Anvil Publishing, NBS' publishing arm

1995 Introduction of NBS' house brand - Best Buy National Book Store C5 warehouse

1996 Power Books, Inc. was established along Arnaiz in Makati Opening of the first Mindanao branch in Cagayan de Oro Borja

1997 National Book Store changed its logo from the traditional bird image to N The first NBEX store was opened in Retiro

In the 00's 2000 Implementation of the loyalty program - Laking National

2004 Nanay Coring won the Enterpreneur of the Year from Ernst and Young Establishment of the National Book Store Foundation, Inc.

2005 Awarded as Outstanding Filipino Retailers by PRA

2006 Launching of NBS Website

2007 Opening of the 100th store in SM Taytay, Rizal Opening of the first Metrobooks in Hongkong Nanay Coring was awarded Honorary Degree in Ateneo De Manila

2009 The first ever mid night book launch in the country: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Launching of the NBS Facebook account

In the 2010's 2010 Launching of the My Pilipinas Moleskine in collaboration between National Book Store, Collezione-C2, and Moleskine. We launch a limited edition of Moleskine that printed with iconic Philippine map on our legendary notebook is a symbol of the Filipino spirit, passion and limitless creativity.

2011 Arrival and signing event of one of the Best Selling Book Author, Nicolas Sparks

2012 Launching of the Nanay Coring: The Story of National Book Store's Socorro Ramos Mark Millar: The Milla in Manila: Mark Millar’s unique competition to attend a signing anywhere in the world has been won by the National Book Store in Manila. NBS placed the largest order for Supercrooks #1

2013 Launching of the Rajo Laurel Design Collaboration Launching of the NBS E-Commerce Site

2014 1st Philippine Readers Writers Festival: National Book Store brings the bestselling author in Manila for the first time.

Mitch Albom Book Signing Event: The first biggest signing in Manila. Launching of the My Fave Book Selfie in Philippine Star Formulation of the new NBS Vision and Mission statement First Free Comic Book Day in the Philippines.

2015 Collaboration with Daphne Oseña-Paez, an entreprenuer and media personality. In celebration of BenCab: 50 Creative Years, National Book Store collaborated with Benedicto Reyes Cabrera. By this, we launched a special limited edition stationery collection in honor of his contribution to the country’s culture. We are proud to finally present the BenCab products which feature some of his exceptional works. Through this collection, we will be able to bring BenCab’s works closer to a wider market and reach out to a new generation of artists and enthusiasts. Color Pop Fair: First coloring event in the Philippines Kiera Cass signing event in Cebu: The Biggest Book Author event in Cebu Implementation of SAP, an enterprise planning software Appointed as exclusive Philippine distributor of Itoya from Japan Opening of the 200th store in Ayala Serin Tagaytay Launching of NBS Delivery Service / Hotline Turnover of the first NBS Foundation Dome Library; a first of its kind in the Philippines

2016 Collaboration with Cecile Zamora Van Straten, lifestyle blogger. National Book Store won the Hall of Fame for Philippine Retailers Association

New store design Malherbe in SM North Edsa. Appointed as exclusive Philippine distributor of Caran d' Ache Acquired a license to design and distribute products from Disney

2017 Opening of the new store concepts: Art Bar, Workstation and Noteworthy Opening of the NBS' Academy, an in house training center for NBS employees