He is out to challenge and change the game in Philippine retail landscape, and it seems, he is well on his way in doing so.
A cursory look at a showpiece like the Evia Lifestyle Center in Las Piñas should already be enough proof of how businessman and former politician Manuel Villar Jr. is setting a new and higher standard in the retail industry.
Villar, chairman of Vista Land & Landcapes Inc., led the formal opening last Thursday of some of the Vista Group’s retail businesses within the North wing of the Evia Lifestyle Center, including All Day Supermarket, AllHome, Bake My Day and Market Liberty.
Vista Land is one of the leading integrated property developers in the Philippines and reportedly the largest homebuilder in the country overall.
“I feel proud today. We just formally opened (these stores) in what I would say is the most beautiful mall in the Philippines today,” Villar said. “The (Vista) malls we have are ahead of their time but we feel that this is what the Filipinos deserve.”
“We shouldn’t have to go out of the country to shop in the beautiful malls abroad. This is why we came up with our retail group about five to six years ago. We want to build more beautiful malls while we continue to challenge ourselves to give you better retail outlets,” he added.
Apart from having 33 Vista Malls nationwide, the group has been aggressively expanding its retail businesses that include AllHome, for which they expect to have 40 stores by yearend; Market Liberty, which offers a platform for local entrepreneurs to expand their businesses; Coffee Project, dubbed as the most Instagramable coffee shop in the Philippines, and which will soon house bookstores in select branches; Bake My Day; All Toys; All Sports; Kinder City; and All Day Supermarket, which has Paluto and Gastroville. Even the iMAX at Evia Lifestyle Center is claimed by Villar to be most advanced iMAX in the Philippines.
“We’re very proud of these (retail businesses). We faced many challenges early on—people were telling us we cannot do it, that it cannot be done, or it has not been done before. But I never accepted these. It even became more challenging because we wanted to offer our mallgoers something that is beautiful but also affordable. But we have done it, and we have a lot more in store for you,” explained the country’s richest man.
Evia Lifestyle Center, the South’s premier shopping destination, serves as urban Alabang’s premier retail, entertainment and dining destination. Tagged as the most beautiful and Instagramable mall by its patrons, Evia’s recently unveiled North wing is a fitting expansion to the main mall. Making it all the more exciting is the opening of four fast growing retail brands that make it truly one of a kind.
One stop shop
AllHome’s 22nd branch, located at the North wing of Evia, is the first premium superstore of the country’s only full-line home center. It features thoughtfully styled vignettes to inspire creativity in any interior designer.
It just got easier to complete your home given AllHome’s wide assortment of products, including exclusive lines from international premium brands such as leading Japanese sanitaryware manufacturer Inax, premium Italian tile brand Iris Ceramica, and Spanish tile brands Cicogres, Alaplana, and Platera.
Freshness guaranteed
All Day Supermarket introduces a fresh new way of grocery shopping at Evia. Built with the customer in mind, this beautifully appointed store was made even better with its brighter and more spacious aisles, featuring a rich assortment of local and imported food items, gourmet deli and cheese, as well as organic products.
Evia’s patrons can also enjoy All Day Supermarket’s “Paluto,” where choice fresh ingredients are cooked and served in dampa style fashion, and Gastroville, where you are sure to find what you’re craving for.
Bake My Day opens its first stand-alone store at the North wing of Evia Lifestyle Center.
Your boulangerie
Bake My Day opens its first stand-alone store at the North wing of Evia Lifestyle Center. Home to delicious breads and pastries such as the famed Sweet Potato cake and unique Okonomiyaki bread, the bakery has committed to constantly innovate and create new food items that will surely tickle the Filipinos’ elevated tastes.
Local finds
Market Liberty unveils a bigger and better store to house your online discoveries. What started as an exciting experimental venture to help local entrepreneurs expand their businesses, is now home to numerous well-loved brands from all over the country. Shoppers can expect a wider collection of fashion and beauty items as well as newly added categories such as organic and sustainably sourced food items in the new Market Liberty store at the North wing.
At present, Vista Land, through its residential business, has the widest geographic reach with projects currently present in 147 cities and municipalities in 49 provinces. It has a significant leasing business with over 1.4 million sqm in gross floor area within 31 malls, seven office buildings and over 50 commercial centers across the country.
Vista Land has six business units: Camella Homes, Community Philippines, Crown Asia, Brittany, and Vista Residences are all focused on residential property development while Starmalls is involved in commercial property development.
Vista Land intends to focus on the development of Communicities, an integrated urban developments combining lifestyle retail, prime office space, university town, healthcare, themed residential developments and leisure components.