Cultivating a Unified Culture in Growsari, Southeast Asia's Rising Retail Tech Star

The Challenge: Sustaining Culture in a Rapidly Expanding Retail Tech Company
Growsari, a promising retail technology company, is revolutionizing the way sari-sari stores (neighborhood convenience stores) operate in the Philippines. With operations extending across Southeast Asia, Growsari was experiencing explosive growth. However, as they expanded into new countries, the founders faced a critical challenge: retaining top talent and fostering collaboration across diverse and geographically dispersed teams. Despite having a well-intentioned culture deck and employee engagement initiatives, Growsari found it increasingly difficult to attract and retain the talent necessary to sustain their momentum.

The Solution: Purpose-Driven Culture Realignment for Retail Tech
Align By Design introduced a comprehensive, industry-tailored approach:

Defining Purpose: The process began by helping Growsari articulate a clear and compelling purpose that resonated with the unique demands and opportunities of the retail tech industry. This purpose served as the compass that would guide every leader and employee in the company.

Articulating Culture for Retail Tech: Building on this purpose, Align By Design worked with Growsari to refine and clarify a culture that was not only aligned with its business objectives but also deeply resonant with the fast-paced, innovative nature of retail technology.

Empowering Leaders Across Borders: Leaders in different countries were trained to become custodians of Growsari’s culture. They were equipped with the tools and insights needed to nurture and sustain the company’s values, ensuring that every office—whether in Manila or Jakarta—felt like part of the Growsari family.

The Impact: A Harmonized Vision for Sustained Retail Tech Success
The transformation was significant:

Reduced Attrition & Engaged Employees: With a vibrant and compelling culture in place, Growsari became a magnet for top talent in the competitive retail tech space.

Elevated Employer Branding: Growsari’s renewed commitment to its values became a cornerstone of its public identity, attracting positive attention from both industry professionals and potential hires.

Enhanced Collaboration in Retail Tech: With leaders and teams aligned around a shared purpose and values, collaboration flourished, even across international borders.

Secured Series C & D Funding: With a strong, cohesive culture underpinning its ambitious business strategy, Growsari secured significant additional funding, fueling its continued expansion across Southeast Asia.

A Word from the Client
“We always thought we were sorted on the people front with our culture deck and employee engagement plans. We reached out to see how we could fix ‘other’ issues. Your elaborate process to study us and call out the gaps made us realize we didn’t do a thorough exercise of identifying ‘who we want to be’ in the retail tech world. The dilemmas resolution framework helped all of us come together and collectively make deliberate choices. Nothing will stop us now from reaching our goals.”

At Align By Design, we understand that culture is the heartbeat of a company. It’s what unites teams under a common vision and propels them toward shared goals. If you’re ready to explore what a purpose-driven, strategically aligned culture can do for your organization, especially in the fast-paced world of retail technology, we’re here to guide the way.

Note: These transformative projects were initially delivered by the founders as Choose To Thinq (CTQ), which continues to work with Align By Design as a partner in the Change by Design phase. Together, we are committed to empowering organizations to thrive through intentional, strategic alignment.