Shopping and Local Retail Industry

[kiretoce]

Post away folks!


Link to Thread 1 in the Archives.

[b_two]

kaya pala di ko na sya mahanap nagpalit pala thread name.

anyway, nagtataka lang ako kung bakit mahal ang mga grocery items na galing sa pinas compared to those coming from thailand and indonesia. halos kapantay ng presyo ng gawang pinas yung mga galing ng japan at korea.

[Ady001]

Sinasubsidize ba ng gobyerno yung mga produkto natin?

[RonnieR]

Forever 21 in Manila, American clothes extend life in the Philippines
Media Summary
US brand clothing store, Forever 21 arrives in Manila and launches its sprawling store at the SM MegaMall. Manila, Philippines. 01/07/2010

















Models mingle with people who are ready to shop for the latest styles that the US clothing brand Forever 21 has to offer as it's store is launched in Manila at a major mall chain SM MegaMall on July 1, 2010.
Looking through racks of clothes and their attendants busily help customers buy their choice styles.
http://www.demotix.com/news/383837/f...fe-philippines

[april boy]

Robinsons’ Place eyes new look to draw in young professionals

By Doris Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:23:00 07/08/2010

Filed Under: Real Estate, Economy and Business and Finance

MANILA, Philippines -- The Gokongwei group is pursuing the next phase of redevelopment of Robinsons Place Manila, the largest mall destination in the city of Manila, as another initiative to boost long-term rental earnings.

In a press statement on Thursday, Robinsons Land Corp. spokesperson Roseann Coscolluela-Villegas said the redevelopment program was intended to give Robinsons Place Manila its first major facelift since opening doors to the public in 1996.

RLC also earlier announced plans to spruce up its flagship Robinsons Galleria mall in Ortigas.

The first two phases of the redevelopment plan were completed last March and resulted in an increase in gross leasable area as well as creating more breathing space for shoppers to stroll around.

Phase 3 redevelopment, which is targeted for completion before the peak shopping season by yearend, will cover the first two levels of the Padre Faura wing and levels 1 to 4 of the Pedro Gil wing.

Aside from giving these areas a new look, the redevelopment also calls for new store formats catering to the growing market of young professionals with steady income growth.

Since Robinsons Place Manila’s location also caters to a captive market of travelers and tourists, RLC also decided to develop a format that will specifically cater to their needs. This includes a one-stop Filipiniana shop of various products ranging from apparel, footwear, furniture, home furnishings souvenir items, regional delicacies, among others. The area shall also be home to an OFW Center.

“We are looking forward to serving a wider demographic-profiled type of market segment, more of the families who are not just residents of Manila but those from as far as Quezon City, as well as balikbayans who want a comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience in a new, fresher and modern Mall this side of Manila,” said RLC's vice president for lease Lourdes Alano.

The mall also aims to attract college students from UP Manila, St. Paul University, De La Salle, St. Scholastica's College, Santa Isabel and other nearby Universities and those that seek to buy signature brands and dine at restaurants.

“With this redevelopment, we’re expecting higher patronage that will benefit our tenants due to the expected increase in foot traffic with better demographic profile,” Alano said.

Alano said the occupancy rate has been projected to reach 100 percent even before the completion of the third phase of the redevelopment, citing the long wait-list of potential tenants awaiting vacant retail space.

“Currently, the mall is reviewing applicants and would like to prioritize those concepts that are new, fresh, preferably those that are not existing in other malls, those that will complement well with its current tenant zoning, and those that can cater to a wider and broader market segment,” said Alano.

[Linguine]

Negrense entrepreneurs publish ‘Silver Tiangge’


Friday, 03 September 2010 01:49

A story that has been needed to be told for 25 years will now come in 152 pages of full color in a coffee table book published by the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) to be launched during its forthcoming annual Negros Trade Fair at Rockwell Tent, Makati on September 8 to 12. The Silver Tiangge, with Foreword by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil and photographs by Neal Oshima, features all the latest products of the Association of Negros Producers. It is written by 11 authors and design consultants, including furniture designer Debbie Palao and fashion iconoclast PJ Arañador. The food chapters are written by Margarita Forés of Cibo and Vince Groyon, scriptwriter of the indie film Namets.

In her Foreword, Nakpil calls the Association of Negros Producers “a world provider of masterpieces.” There are product chapters on weaving, wood furniture and lamination, lighting, fashion, souvenirs, gifts, and wellness and eco-friendly products. There are also two food chapters, one on Negrense cuisine, and another on desserts. ANP leaders have also contributed to the book in a chapter on the glorious past of Negros Occidental and another chronicling the growth of The Negros Trade Fair. It is edited by ANP’s first president, Gigi Mondonedo Campos.

The book will be launched during the Silver Edition Negros Trade Fair’s opening day, and book copies will be available for sale throughout the fair dates. For copy reservations and bulk orders, contact Kathleen Trebol, ANP Marketing & Sales Manager at 0915-3202031 or e-mail marketing@anp-philippines.com

[RonnieR]

This is Our City
Manila Bulletin
Manila Bulletin - Saturday, September 18
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/mb/20100918...y-8a1add4.html

SM City North-EDSA's pioneer tenants, loyal customers, and employees recently gathered together during the launch of This is Our City - the 25th Anniversary Exhibit at The Block. This Is Our City traces the mall's history beginning from the vision of SM Founder and Chairman Henry Sy Sr. to its growth through the years to become the largest mall in the Philippines and one of the largest in the world. The exhibit also features SM City North-EDSA's pioneer tenants, their heartwarming testimonials and why they chose to open despite the economic and political crisis in 1985. Loyal SM shoppers also share in the exhibit why SM is their city and why it has become part of their lives. Ricky Reyes, Vincent del Rosario - whose father Vic del Rosario founded Video City, Henlin's Mariano and Araceli Manas, Hahn's Willi Hahn, Karimadon's Richard and Josie Go, Golden Lady's Aurea Dalican, Karat Gold's Elizabeth Cua, Our Tribe's Mario Tayag, Royal Time Emporium's Roberto Sy, My Shoe Rack's Nenita Teo, Columbia Photo's Atty. Sheryl Cua, and Frameplus' Regina Gayapanao were among the pioneer tenants who attended the event. SM executives led by SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia, SVP for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, and AVP for Operations Bien Mateo as well as SM Vice President for Marketing Millie Dizon welcomed them. The program, which was hosted by Paolo Bediones, culminated in a toast and the launching of the This is Our City television commercial.

Cool info....

10 Steals and Deals This Week
SPOT
SPOT - Monday, September 20
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/spot/201009...k-5a3fdeb.html

Reyes Barbecue’s new merienda fare starting at P45

Nasi Lemak’s Merienda treats at P88

Crispy Noodles for P99 at Super Bowl of China

Kenny Rogers Roasters’ Grilled Chicken Fillet at P175

September daily specials at the Chocolate Kiss Café starting at P180

The Chocolate Kiss Café is at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, R. Magsaysay St., UP Diliman, Quezon City (433-3782) and at 1/F Korben Place, 91 A. Roces Avenue corner Scout Tobias, Quezon City (433-3782).

Bangus Restaurant’s Breakfast meals at P163

All-you-can-feast on sushi at Teriyaki Boy for P250

Free coffee at Burger Avenue The Fort for every P250 purchase

Fish and Chips All-You-Can for only P295 at Fish & Co. Alabang

Fish and Co. is at the Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City. Tel. No. 659-3476

Mario’s Sunday lunch buffet at P645

Lunch at leisure with your favorite dishes at Mario’s Tomas Morato for P645 per person from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. The buffet spread includes roast beef, cochinillo, turkey, oysters, sushi, pasta, paella and a variety of desserts.

Mario’s is at 191 Tomas Morato Ave. corner Scout Gandia, Quezon City. Tel. No. 372-0360

Photographs from Nasi Lemak, Super Bowl of China, mariosrestaurant.wordpress.com, Fish & Co.

[Linguine]

SC: Retail Trade Liberalization Act constitutional

Written by Joel R. San Juan / Reporter
Thursday, 23 September 2010 13:10

THE Supreme Court (SC) has declared constitutional Republic Act 8762, or the Retail Trade Liberalization Act signed by then-President Joseph Estrada in March 2000, which allows foreigners to engage in the retail-trade business in the country.

RA 8762 also allows natural-born Filipino citizens, who had lost their citizenship and now reside in the Philippines, to engage in the retail-trade business with the same rights as Filipinos.

 In an 11-page decision written by Associate Justice Roberto Abad, the Court en banc dismissed the petition filed by lawmakers in the 10th Congress, seeking to declare the law unconstitutional.

 Among the petitioners were Magtanggol Guinigundo I, Michael Defensor, Gerardo Espina, Benjamin Lim, Orlando Fua, Prospero Amatong, Sergio Apostol, Robert Barbers, Enrique Garcia, Raul Gonzales, Jaime Jacob, Apolinario Lozada Jr., Leonardo Montemayor, Ma. Elena Palma-Gil, Prospero Pichay, Juan Miguel Zubiri (now senator) and Franklin Bautista.

They said RA 8762 violates Sections 9, 19 and 20 of Article II of the Constitution that enjoins the government to place the national economy under the control of Filipinos in order to protect Filipinos businesses from unfair competition and trade policies.

The law, they said, would lead to alien control of the retail trade and would crush Filipino retailers and sari-sari store vendors, destroy self-employment and push up unemployment rate in the country.

The petitioners warned that if the law was not scrapped, it would result in monopolies or combinations in restraint of trade.

Aside from the legislators’ lack of legal standing to file the petition, the Court held that the petition should be dismissed because of their failure to support their arguments.

The Court said that while the Constitution mandates a bias in favor of Filipino goods, services, labor and enterprises, it does not rule out the entry of foreign investments, goods and services.

The petitioners failed to convince the Court that the implementation of RA 8672 would lead to alien control of the retail trade business, considering that the law itself has provided strict safeguards on foreign participation in the retail business. The Court said.

It also noted that under the law, foreigners can only engage in retail trade subject to four categories: enterprises with paid-up capital of less than $2.5 million shall be reserved exclusively for Filipino citizens and Filipino-owned corporations; enterprises with $2.5 million up but less than $7.5 million may be wholly owned by foreigners except for the first two years of the effectivity of RA 8762; those with $7.5 or more may be wholly owned by foreigners, provided the investment for establishing a store in Categories B and C would not be less than the equivalent in Philippine pesos of $830,000; and $250,000 per store of foreign entprises specializing in high-end or luxury products maybe wholly owned by foreigners.

“While it [the Constitution] does not encourage their unlimited entry into the country, it does not prohibit them either. In fact, it allows an exchange on the basis of equality and reciprocity, frowning only on foreign competition that is unfair,” the SC said.

Furthermore, the Court noted that contrary to the claim of the petitioners,  RA 8672 would not amount to the denial of the Filipinos’ right to property and to due process.

“In sum, [the] petitioners have not shown how the retail-trade liberalization has prejudiced and can prejudice the local small and medium enterprises since its implementation about a decade ago,” the Court said.

Concurring with the ruling were Chief Justice Renato Corona and Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Conchita Carpio Morales, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Martin Villarama Jr. and Jose Portugal Perez.

Associate Justices Jose Catral Mendoza, Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Maria Lourdes Sereno, Presbitero Velasco Jr and Antonio Eduardo Nachura are all on leave.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/hom...constitutional

[jpdm]

actually, foreign-owned retail shops here are not successful.

The case of Makro of Netherlands is one. How about those American members only shops.

The Mall industry is in the firm grip of Pinoys (Chinese-pinoys and kastilaloys).

[april boy]

SM Prime opens San Pablo mall, its 38th in RP

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
(The Philippine Star)
Updated October 01, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - SM Prime Holdings Inc. is opening SM City San Pablo – its 38th shopping mall in the Philippines and its second mall in Laguna – today (Oct. 1).

The newest mall, with a gross floor area of 56,086 square meters, is situated along the Maharlika Highway in San Rafael, San Pablo City. Of the 34,169-sqm leasable area, 99 percent has already been awarded to various tenants, the company said.

In addition, SM City San Pablo, the Sy-owned company’s second mall opened this year, has four cinemas with a combined seating capacity of about 1,400 as well as parking slots for over 600 vehicles.

“We warmly welcome all our valued customers to SM Prime’s newest mall, SM City San Pablo. This is the second SM mall in Laguna, with another one coming up later this year in Calamba. Laguna is a key area for our mall expansion, with its bustling cities, relative proximity to Metro Manila, and a thriving tourism industry,” said SM Prime president Hans T. Sy.

Laguna is home to several major industrial zones and manufacturing plants. Majority of its population belongs to the middle-income bracket.

The newest mall brings SM Prime’s total gross floor area to 4.7 million sqm and is expected to end the year with a total of 40 malls nationwide with an estimated total floor area of 4.8 million square meters.

Aside from SM Calamba, SM Prime is also scheduled to open SM City Novaliches in Quezon City this year. Outside the Philippines, SM Prime is set to open SM Suzhou – its fourth mall in mainland China.

[Linguine]

Supermarket bears city history-and lifestyle

By Abe Florendo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DateFirst Posted 22:05:00 10/06/2010


Gallery








Remember when the shopping/dining hub was called Makati Commercial Center?

FORTY YEARS ago, on Nov. 19, 1970, when Rustan’s Supermarket opened at the back of Rustan’s Department Store, whose elegant display windows fronted Ayala Avenue in Makati, grocery shopping was redefined for a new decade and a changing society.

While reflecting the sophistication of the department store, which carried world-famous brands and introduced them to an uptown market that coveted the Diors and YSLs, the supermarket targeted a larger market that appreciated the convenience of knowing where to find grocery items when they needed them fast, including hard-to-find imported items like blue cheese, feta cheese, bolognas, Italian pastas, Campbell soups, canned fruits and vegetables, Danish cookies, hearts of romaine lettuce, a nice pair of steak knives.

Lured by Rustan’s Supermarket’s bright and pleasant, even festive, atmosphere and neat shelves filled with everything their hearts desired, even the matrons of Forbes Park and neighboring villages made it a glamorous chore to do the grocery-shopping instead of sending out their cooks or maids. They were confident that they would know better the best cut of frozen pork and beef, the best yield of salmon and lamb chop, the properly gourmet herbs and salad dressings, balsamic vinaigrette and Bertolli virgin olive oil, and what to pick from the irresistible offerings among the refrigerated deli goodies.

And the wine section (now called The Vineyard)—there was nothing anywhere near it in sophistication and range of selections that we knew of then. Come to think of it, was there any such place then? Perhaps the five-star hotels.

But it was Rustan’s Supermarket that understood, and introduced to Filipinos, the western sophistication of drinking wine with their food. And it caught on among wine connoisseurs who were thankful that at Rustan’s they could get their favorite French chablis, chardonnay, merlot, beaujolais and cabernet sauvignon and the German pinot noirs and rieslings—and for a fraction of the price by the bottle that they would pay for it by the glass in a hotel.

Bohemian of ’70s

It was probably the bohemians of the ’70s that gave wine-drinking that haute cachet of indulgence and worldliness. These pale, haunted romantics sipped their wines in cafes or entertained friends at home with Mateus if they were penny-pinching, or with a merlot and cabernet if they had gotten their checks for painting commissions or bridal ensembles.

Rustan’s Supermarket pampered that new worldly spirit.

Many people then would think of Rustan’s Supermarket as an expanded, neatly arranged, and better stocked PX goods store. They could not be blamed for thinking so: they had not seen anything like Rustan’s Supermarket before.

The old PX goods stores they were familiar with were a jumble and tumble of armchairs, kitchen utensils, bed sheets, bric-a-bracs, chocolates, ovens, footwear and others that look like other people’s, or American GIs’, detritus.

The goods at Rustan’s Supermarket were no GI detritus; they were the quality goods from around the world.

More than that, the shelves were also filled with the best local grocery products, not to mention the farm produce—vegetables and fruits—and the sea harvests that were as fresh as you would want them.

And there were delightful surprises where you didn’t expect one. “Look here, brooms in Rustan’s! You don’t need to go to Ilalim ng Quiapo for them.”

With its allures of a wide variety of local fresh produce and excellent local and imported goods of your heart’s desire, going to Rustan’s Supermarket was like going to a different world.

Highway 54

Whether you were coming from the north or the south, you passed through Edsa, then called Highway 54, the undisputed territory of raucous and undisciplined jeepneys. The supermarket was just a few meters away after you turn to Ayala Avenue—and then the sense of coming into a different world would strike you.

Ayala Avenue, like it was transported from another city in, say, California, was a wide and neat avenue with manicured shrubs and tall lamp posts down the center islands and a growing number of high-rises flanking both sides of the avenue.

The Ayala Center, as we know it now, was then called the Makati Commercial Center, not yet the central business district that it is today, with sprawling malls and high-rises and traffic in the manner of the world’s capitals.

The Makati Commercial Center, however, was a charming enclave in its own way, where people went for the best spaghetti at the Makati Supermarket, the pizza and baby-back ribs at The Plaza and its al fresco tables, the Vendo sandwiches and the hot meals plunked down on the chrome counters of the Automat, the elegant big-party dinners at Sulo Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, the fabrics and clothing retail at Arcega’s at the Maranaw Arcade.

Rizal Theater

When Rizal Theater was built (in the site now occupied by Shangri-La Hotel), “in the middle of nowhere,” people snickered, it soon enough drew crowds to watch its first-run movies and stage performances and have coffee and cakes at Leila’s coffeeshop afterward. (Was Leila’s owned by Leila Benitez, the TV variety show co-host who insisted on pronouncing the Philippine currency “pey-sos”?)

And if you must know or want to remember (gosh, that was 40 some years ago and you wouldn’t want people to know you brought your dates to Panciteria Moderna in Sta. Cruz!), when Rustan’s Supermarket opened, local movies were cashing in on the phenomenal popularity of the singing love team, Guy and Pip, everybody was listening to the Apo Hiking Society and The Carpenters and James Taylor, fashionistas were wearing bell-bottomed pants and hippie flower-print tops, and antiwar student demonstrations intensified, inspired by the killing of four students in the Kent State University.

The opening of the supermarket came close to the declaration of martial law, which ushered in an era of social and political upheavals. It was not the best time for business, but Rustan’s Supermarket soldiered on, sticking to its quality merchandise and reasonable prices, possibly readjusted for the times.

What this also said is that you could not put down the Filipino’s proclivity for enjoying life when they could—not denying themselves the best groceries they could afford-even in harsh times. Tell you what, at around that time, young socialites and wannabes were also dancing it up at Hotel Intercontinental’s Where Else? disco.

Milestone

By then, however, the other early MCC landmarks were gone or fading away; one Rustan’s loyalist put it, “they could all be found now at Rustan’s and its supermarket.” Earlier big supermarkets like Acme Supermarket are now also gone, with the exception of Cherry’s Foodarama.

Today, of course, Rustan’s Supermarket, at the ever-renewing Ayala Center, is surrounded by other supermarkets, restaurants, specialty eateries and groceries, and a whole lot of others.

2006 brought on a major milestone, with the Supermarket being taken over by the Shopwise group led by Donnie Tantoco, grandson of founders Gliceria Rustia and Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. (the name ‘Rustan’ came from their surnames).

The infusion of young blood has enhanced Rustan’s legacy, with the new guard introducing innovative concepts and products that are spot-on in terms of today’s consumer trends but faithfully in line with the Supermarket’s core values.

And Rustan’s has since established 30 branches, composed of supermarkets and express lanes (the precursor of today’s convenience store) in Forbes Park, Greenbelt, Rockwell Powerplant Mall, The Gateway Mall in Araneta Center, The Shangri-La Mall, Paseo de Magallanes, Corinthian Hills, Ayala Center and Arcenas Estates in Cebu, and along Katipunan Road and at Il Terrazzo Mall in Quezon City.

Wherever it is found, it continues to hold on to its tradition of best quality and best prices (the Supermarket’s Traditions catalogue, started in 1980, is alive and well, and a pleasure to browse through).

As importantly, the Supermarket continues to realize the expectations of its confident customers that here they could find the items they needed fast and would not have to go elsewhere to find them. That essentially is what going to your favorite grocer is all about.

[RonnieR]

SM Prime to build second mall in Cebu
10/08/2010 | 03:17 PM


Mall developer and operator SM Prime Holdings Inc. is building another shopping mall in Cebu, the company said Friday.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange Friday, SM Prime said it has entered into a lease contract with Cebu-based Everjust Realty Corp. for a 46,296-square-meter lot in Lamac village in Consolacion, Cebu.

The Sy-led company plans to build on the leased property the second mall in the province after SM City Cebu, the country’s fourth biggest shopping complex.

“The signing of the lease contract is one of the first significant steps that SM Prime is taking towards completing its second mall in Cebu," SM Prime president Hans Sy said in a statement.

“The company considers Cebu as an ideal site for further expansion of SM malls, given its strategic role in the Visayas region and its strong export capability. It is also an ideal tourism destination and a take-off point for island hopping by ferry to other destinations," he added.

The mall that will be established on the leased property — which will be named SM City Consolacion Cebu — is estimated to have a gross area of 57,436 square meters.

The new mall in Cebu is scheduled to open by the fourth quarter of 2011.

For the rest of this year, SM Prime said it will be opening SM City Calamba, the third SM mall in Laguna province, and SM Novaliches in Quezon City.

SM Prime likewise said it is set to open by December its fourth mall in mainland China, which will be located in Suzhou City.

By the end of the year, the touted country’s largest mall operator and developer is expected to have 40 malls in the Philippines, with a total gross floor area of 4.8 million square meters. - JE/OMG, GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/202946/s...d-mall-in-cebu

[Linguine]

RP’s richest man returns to his roots

By Doris Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:02:00 10/09/2010

Filed Under: Economy and Business and Finance, Tourism & Leisure, Investments, Construction & Property, Marketing, Real Estate, Retail, Venture capital



JINJIANG—It’s hard to imagine that this quaint city in the southeastern Fujian, the province in mainland China where most Chinoys descended from, was once mired in scathing poverty that drove many of its people overseas.

Like many parts of the booming mainland, the city has turned into an industrial hub these days, surrounded by factories and residential buildings that are tiled in the auspicious hues of red or old rose.

But while Jinjiang may not be a household name in the Philippines, or maybe at least not outside of Binondo, its bleak past has changed the course of Philippine history and culture over the last 150 years. Not only was it the homeland of the ancestors of national hero Jose Rizal; it was from its little village of Hong Xi in Long Hu Town that the Philippines’ wealthiest man came from.

Tycoon Henry Sy Sr. left his hometown when he was barely a teenager to live in the Philippines with his father, Xiu Shi Sy, who was operating a small-time grocery business. Much has been written about his early struggles especially during World War II when his family lost everything which prompted his father to go back to China. Sy decided to stay in the country, initially getting into merchandise trading and eventually striking a gold mine in retailing and shopping mall development.

Since then, he has become a legend at spotting opportunities, drawing consumers in wherever he puts up a new mall which now number 38 in the Philippines (and still counting). But even as his business grew bigger and bigger, he never forgot about Jinjiang. He opened the city’s very first shopping mall in 2005 which to date remains the only shopping mall in the city.

Although this wasn’t Sy’s first mall in China, SM City Jinjiang is the only shopping mall in the world with a basketball stadium, also convertible into badminton courts, in support of the sport where China excels in globally. For now, these courts are offered for public use for free.

Apart from sentimental reasons, Sy pioneered shopping mall development in Jinjiang, which has a population of about two million, to harness the growing purchasing power of the Chinese consumer.

Although the Jinjiang shopping mall is not as crowded as its sister SM mall in the nearby and more prosperous city of Xiamen, retail sales in Jinjiang do top those in Xiamen on national holidays, like the seven-day holiday held to commemorate China’s October 1 foundation day.

The SM Group also holds in Jinjiang the Chinese version of its kiddie talent search SM Little Stars whereby the winners are brought to the Philippines as part of its cultural exchange program.

China’s shoe capital

Not coincidentally, the home city of the founder of SM or Shoemart group has become China’s “Shoe Capital” due to a yearly international shoe expo that has successfully attracted a lot of international attention. These days, Jinjiang supplies 40 percent of China’s sports and leisure footwear needs and 20 percent of the global demand.

Sy, who himself started out selling shoes in the Philippines, has been an avid supporter of Jinjiang’s transformation into a shoe manufacturing hub. From 1999 to 2004, the tycoon hosted for free the government-organized shoe exhibitions inside the SM Jinjiang shopping mall which was not yet operational then. When the mall opened to the public in 2005, the shoe expo was transferred to SM Exhibition Center which was built by the tycoon upon the request of the city government. This exhibition center is now being leased to the city government for a minimal fee.

Looking after Hong Xi

Sy’s home village is more than a kilometer away from the main city road which must have made it very difficult for villagers to transport merchandise goods during the old times, especially during inclement weather. It’s now easier to reach the village as Sy, using his own money, built a road to connect Hong Xi to the main road. The road cuts through a slightly rugged terrain, passing by a quarrying site which produces granite blocks for export. Down the road lies a memorial built by the tycoon for his father, which contains some sort of a pledge that even though his father is no longer around, this devoted son would continue to show his love by caring for the village.

Aside from building a road to the building, even the lamp posts that light up the village at dusk have been put up by Sy, according to the town mayor Wei Tan Sy.

The tycoon’s ancestral house was built by Sy in 1952 for his parents who had gone back to China. The house was built before the first Shoemart mall opened in downtown Manila in 1958. The ancestral house is now empty but well preserved.

Built in traditional Chinese architecture, the two-story abode is neither too lavish nor too humble. An inner courtyard is at the midst of the rectangular structure. The rooms are very modest in size, not the ones that scream a-billionaire-owns-this. The dirty kitchen is molded in terra cotta clay. Water is sourced from a deep well outside via a steel pipeline.

A walking distance from the ancestral Sy residence is an elementary school with a student population of 600—the highest rated among the 20 schools within the area. The school, which boasts of its own soccer and track-and-field stadium, was built using contribution from overseas Chinese. Not surprisingly, Sy shelled out bulk of the expenses, the town mayor said. The school, for its part, has shown its gratitude to the tycoon by etching out his name and those of his children in one of the buildings. A boardroom at the school has also been converted into a mini-photo gallery of the tycoon. At another hall at the ground floor, portraits of the tycoon and another of his wife Felicidad Tan Sy proudly hung. Furthermore, the school also pays tribute to the tycoon’s parents—Xiu Shi Sy and Wu She Wang—by displaying their portraits at the school auditorium.

Making inroads in China

Sy, who will turn 86 on October 15, has grown his empire to be the largest player not just in Philippine retailing and shopping mall development but also in banking.

The SM group is also widely expected to soon become the largest player even in residential property business despite being a relative newcomer in this field. As a fifth business segment, the group has also raised its stake in Philippine tourism with the opening of the 400-room Radisson Blu Hotel, the first upscale hotel to open in Cebu in years.

The SM group now controls over P800 billion worth of wealth listed on the local stock market, representing the combined market capitalization of five publicly listed operating units—SM Investments Corp., SM Prime Holdings Inc., Banco de Oro Unibank, China Banking Corp. and SM Development Corp.

Like many other conglomerate that has achieved dominance in its core businesses in its home market, the next obvious step is to go global or at least regional. The dirt-poor boy who left China many years ago is now looking back at China both as a philanthropist and as an investor. His is a well-calculated strategy that seeks to replicate his success as a trailblazer in the Philippines, one Chinese city at a time, beginning with his home province of Fujian.

He opened his first shopping mall in the mainland in Xiamen in 2001.

Nowadays, this 126,000-square meter (sqm) mall is just as crowded as the mature SM malls in the Philippines like SM North Edsa and Megamall especially on weekends. The 170,000-sqm mall complex in Jinjiang, which opened in 2005, was the group’s second mall. The third one opened in 2006 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province with a gross floor area of 176,000 sqms. And only last year, the SM group expanded its presence in Xiamen with the opening of the upscale 110,000-square-meter SM Lifestyle Center across the street from the old Xiamen mall.

The target is to open one brand-new mall in China each year. Soon to open are new malls in Suzhou in the province of Jiangsu (December 2010), national city of Chongquing in southwestern mainland (2011), Tianjin in northeastern mainland at the border of Beijing (2013) and Zibo in the province of Shandong (2013).

The group is investing 3.58 billion renminbi (RMB) in these four upcoming malls, equivalent to about P21.5 billion. In general, it’s more expensive to build a shopping mall in China as provisions must be made for the winter season, which the Philippines does not have. Among the upcoming malls, SM Tianjin will be the largest in size with 530,000 square meters and will be more than twice as large as the SM Mall of Asia. This alone will require an investment of around 2 billion RMB or about P12 billion.

SM Prime’s three malls in China contributed P600 million or 5 percent of total consolidated revenues in the first semester of this year. In terms of net income, these overseas malls contributed P100 million or 3 percent of total consolidated net income. Rental revenue of the three overseas malls continued to grow at a hefty pace of 26 percent during the first semester over a year ago on the back of improvements in the average occupancy rate, lease renewals and the opening of the SM Xiamen Lifestyle Center, which added 110,000 sqms to the Xiamen mall. The malls in China have an average occupancy rate of about 87 percent.

Except for the upscale SM Lifestyle Center, most SM malls look pretty much like their counterparts in the Philippines, except that US retailing giant Walmart operates the grocery stores not SM itself. Having the consumer-driven Wal-mart as partner is in fact one reason cited for the group’s success in making inroads in China, says SM Shopping Centers Management Corp. president Annie Garcia. “Wal-mart wants to partner with us everywhere we go (in China).”

The SM group is aware of the risks and rewards of investing in what could soon be the world’s largest economy.

“We are focused in bringing Filipino mall concept to China and maybe our Filipino condominium concept in the near future,” says Teresita Sy-Coson, the tycoon’s eldest daughter who sits as SM Investments vice chair.

Outside of its publicly listed units, the SM group has likewise pilot-tested the retailing business in its malls in China through a privately held company incorporated in Taiwan that now operates SM Laiya Department Stores, another anchor tenant in its overseas malls.

“SM group will follow a prudent and sustainable business development in China,” says SM Investments chief finance officer Jose Sio. “SM will continue to watch the opportunities in commercial center and property development in China and at the same time mindful of any risks that might be involved,” Sio adds.

[RonnieR]

MUJI of Japan is now in the Philippines.
Muji Philippines opened its doors

Muji Philippines opened its doors last October 15th, 2010. The store is located on the corner of Bonifacio High Street, on top of the Gap store and right across Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street.

What is Muji?
Muji is a Japanese retail company which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods like clothes, pens, luggage organizers, Japanese snacks, kitchen items, toiletries, and bookshelves.

See that line of people at the right portion of the image? Yes, that’s the long line to the cashier.

Have you been to Muji?
http://galwinfabian.com/2010/10/muji...ned-its-doors/

[Ady001]

There's also one to open in the Powerplant Mall. So what's the difference of this and daiso?

[Linguine]

Redeveloped Ayala Center to open in 2012

A P20-BILLION redevelopment of Ayala Center is expected to be completed in two years, Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) officials yesterday said, ensuring the longevity of the Makati central business district (MCBD).

Aside from new commercial and residential areas, the face-lift -- which is not limited to the complex -- will also involve more efficient transportation and a pedestrian-friendly environment.

"Right now I think the price tag that we have identified ... [and] this is going to be our largest investment in a specific area, is upwards P20 billion in the next few years," ALI President Antonino T. Aquino told reporters yesterday.

Anna Bautista-Dy, vice-president of ALI’s Strategic Landbank Management Group, said: "We expect to open our doors by 2012".

Included in the ongoing redevelopment is the Palm Promenade that will have outdoor cafes and tree-lined walkways along Pasay Road.

"We will be opening 700 new hotel rooms, bringing our portfolio to 3,000 rooms in Makati," Ms. Dy said.

A Holiday Inn and a Raffles Hotel will rise at the top of Glorietta 1 and 2, among other developments.

For the entire business district, ALI officials said they were focused on adding to the current pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and improving traffic.

There are 3.5 kilometers of walkways to date and the property firm will redevelop the 1.2-kilometer stretch from Ayala to Buendia avenues.

ALI will also implement a bus rapid transit system and upgrade the traffic signaling system.

Close to 10 hectares will be open spaces like parks.

On top of the P20-billion redevelopment, the firm also wants to create two new business districts: MCBD North and the Mckinley Node.

"What you will have ... [are] very distinct districts coming up on both ends of Ayala Avenue," Ms. Dy said.
|

http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=20619

[RonnieR]

Originally Posted by Ady001

There's also one to open in the Powerplant Mall. So what's the difference of this and daiso?

No idea about daiso.

Good news! Uniqlo is coming to the Philippines.

Originally Posted by NihonKitty

Fast Retailing eyes more Uniqlo stores in Southeast Asia
Fast Retailing eyes more Uniqlo stores in Southeast Asia

Thursday 04th November, 06:19 AM JST

KUALA LUMPUR —

Tadashi Yanai, president of Fast Retailing Co, which runs Japan’s leading clothing retail chain Uniqlo, said here Wednesday there will be more Uniqlo stores across Southeast Asia over the next one or two years.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the official launch of Uniqlo’s maiden outlet in Malaysia on Thursday, Yanai said the company plans to expand into the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/b...southeast-asia

Originally Posted by jpdm

actually, foreign-owned retail shops here are not successful.

The case of Makro of Netherlands is one. How about those American members only shops.

The Mall industry is in the firm grip of Pinoys (Chinese-pinoys and kastilaloys).

It could be that they can't stand the competition vs. the locals. In terms of malls or shopping stores, the Philippines is considered as a mature market, so the Pinoy owners (mainly Chinese or Spanish Filipinos) have established strong foothold of the huge Philippine market. It's no wonder given the fact that Filipinos had a taste of their first mall (Ali Mall) in 1976.

Makro was bought by SM. In China, Walmart is the main anchor of SM malls.

SR Price is still there. Their BGC store is doing good.

[Linguine]

Pinoy map lands on iconic shoe

Posted November 6th, 2010 | Features | Comments (0) | 33 views

By Karen Galarpe – The Philippine map became highly visible on T-shirts this year especially during the presidential campaign when then Senator Benigno Aquino III and running-mate Senator Mar Roxas wore them in yellow and blue respectively almost every day.

Since then, the Philippine map design has figured in other items, from clothes to bags and even slippers and keychains, fueling Pinoy pride.

The “map” shirts as worn by Aquino and Roxas were from Collezione-C2, and is a brainchild of creative director and acclaimed fashion designer Rhett Eala.

This year, Collezione-C2 partnered with casual footwear giant Crocs to put the Philippine map in iconic Crocs clogs that are soft, lightweight, and odor-resistant.

The result is the limited edition MyPilipinas Crocband touted as “distinctly Pinoy, and distinctly Crocs.”

Wearable Pinoy pride

MyPilipinas Crocband is designed by Eala and is positioned as shoes that can “intensify national pride in each Filipino, with a dash of fun and loaded with functionality,” according to Crocs.

“It’s an important collaboration in terms of carrying the ‘fashionalism’ movement forward,” said Eala. “We are happy that a global brand like Crocs saw it fit to team up with our label to create an innovative product that speaks so distinctively of our country.”

“The shoe is in line with Collezione-C2’s objective of creating globally relevant products that merge art, fashion, and nationalism. This collaboration with Crocs hits that mark and provides another opportunity to show what we Filipinos have to offer,” said Joey Qua, managing director of Collezione-C2.

MyPilipinas Crocband was launched last October 30 along with the Crocs Fall/Holiday collection and Collezione-C2′s Holiday 2010 line at a fashion show held at TriNoMa in Quezon City.

Since Filipinos love to travel, Eala created a “travel-worthy” line for the Collezione-C2 Holiday 2010 collection while remaining true to its brand aesthetic of “global Filipino fashion.” The clothes were made of fabrics that hold up against the rigors of traveling, such as cotton jersey, fleece, nylon and acrylic.

“Travel shouldn’t be about losing oneself, but a journey of discovering and reaffirming who you are,” said Eala. “When I created this collection, I wanted to remind Filipinos that identity isn’t bound by time or place.” – via abs-cbnNEWS.com



http://thepinoy.net/?p=5570#more-5570

[Bosnyboy]

Dats good at least our country is goin places, literally hahahaha

[Bosnyboy]

Or i can also say our country has the world under its feet hahahha