John Lewis opens first PH shop-in-shop at SM Makati

John Lewis, a chain of quality department stores operating throughout Great Britain, opens its first shop-in-shop in the Philippines at SM Makati. The chain is part of the John Lewis Partnership, and is known for its policy of “Never Knowingly Undersold,” which has been in use since 1925.

A wide range of own-brand home products including bed, bath, tableware and home accessories, such as candles and photo frames, will be on offer in a dedicated John Lewis Department at SM Home in SM Makati’s fifth level.

First of 11 shop-in-shops

This is the first of the 11 shop-in-shops in SM Retail locations across the Philippines—SM Makati, SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM Southmall in the Metro area, and SM Cebu and SM Lanang in the provincial areas; as well as three Our Home stores. The sites are between 300 and 1,000 square feet and have a dedicated staff.

The shop-in-shop departments will build on the success of John Lewis existing outlets in seven branches of South Korean department store Shinsegae, and follows John Lewis’ recent announcement to open shop-in-shop departments in three branches of Singapore department store Robinsons.

“SM Retail is a perfect partner to help bring the John Lewis brand to a new Asian customer base,” says Andy Street, managing director at John Lewis.

“I would like to congratulate SM for successfully bringing John Lewis to the Philippines,” says British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad. “In the United Kingdom, John Lewis is known as a top retailer and has a reputation for offering excellent value to customers for many years. We are delighted to have another iconic brand that will bring the experience of British quality, creativity and lifestyle to the Filipino home.”

The first John Lewis store was opened in 1864 in Oxford Street, London. Today, it operates 43 John Lewis stores across the United Kingdom (31 department stores, 10 John Lewis at Home stores, and shops at St. Pancras and Heathrow Terminal 2), as well as johnlewis.com.

Worker co-ownership

It is part of the John Lewis Partnership, the United Kingdom’s largest example of worker co-ownership where all 30,000 staff are partners in the business. John Lewis has been named Omnichannel Retailer of the Year in the 2014 World Retail Awards.

On Jan. 1, 2008, the Oxford Street store was awarded a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty the Queen as: “suppliers of haberdashery and household goods.” John Lewis Reading is also the holder of a Royal Warrant from the Queen as suppliers of household and fancy goods. Peter Jones in Sloane Square, Chelsea, which is part of the John Lewis Group, is the holder of a Royal Warrant to both The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh as draper and furnisher.

Real Estate Personality of the Year

In closing, I would like to congratulate dynamic real estate developer Raymond Rufino for being chosen as this year’s Property Report Real Estate Personality of the Year at the third annual Philippines Property Awards.

As the executive vice president of acclaimed premium office developer The Net Group, Raymond was elected in 2013 as chair of the board of trustees of the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC), a national nonstock, nonprofit organization that promotes knowledge sharing on best green-building practices.

With his passion for green building and sustainability, Raymond successfully represented the 300-corporate-member organization in 2014 to become an emerging member of the World Green Building Council, that has since recognized Berde (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence), the national voluntary green building rating tool that has also been adopted by the country’s Department of Energy.

Combining his passion for business and for making a positive difference, the handsome 37-year-old executive was honored and humbled to receive the award.

Raymond graduated with a major in business management and minor in industrial psychology from Ateneo de Manila University, and later with a master’s in real estate development from New York City’s Columbia University.