RRHI bets on rising consumer affluence

VIP RETAILERS From left: Lay Bare Waxing Salon prexy Paolo Hilario, Kutsu Sneaker Cleaning & Restoration Services PH prexy Nico Bacani, DigitalWalker assistant vice prexy Howard Paw, LuxAsia country manager Barbs Miravalles, Bruno’s Barbers prexy Marco Pascual, designer Rhett Eala, Amorepacific PH prexy Youngho Kwak, Philippine Wine Merchants prexy Ralph Joseph, Mayfair Retail general manager Louella Scott, LUCI Holdings managing director Ivan Yao, Robinsons Land executive vice prexy Faraday Go and Richprime Global CEO Myrna Yao at the opening of Spatio on Sept. 5 —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Looking at the malls now—restaurants filled with diners, department stores swarming with shoppers and cinemas packed with moviegoers—it is hard to imagine they had once been nearly deserted when the pandemic struck.

Indeed, as the consumer spending recovers, the malls have been seeing heavier foot traffic. And one of the country’s biggest retail powerhouses, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI), is cashing in with the continuous expansion of its retail empire.

Early this month, the company behind Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Marketplace, Shopwise and Southstar Drug opened an upscale lifestyle retail store at Opus Mall, Bridgetowne Destination Estate in Quezon City.

RRHI president and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe, in an interview with the Inquirer, says the idea is to provide a marketplace offering premium products for the Filipinos whose purchasing powers are on the rise.

These consumers, many of whom are now able to travel overseas, have become increasingly willing to buy finer clothes or shoes and other items every now and then, she says.

But more than providing a retail space, Gokongwei-Pe says the company wants Spatio to give customers a worthwhile stay when they visit the place.

“It’s not just product. They’re looking for experience when they enter a store,” the RRHI chief stresses.

“Number two, they’re looking also for more quality, premium products,” she adds.

The three-floor department store—whose overall clean but visually impactful aesthetic was created by renowned interior designer Maja Olivares-Co—is a spacious and well-lit gallery filled with deluxe brands.

It is also a proudly Filipino store. Its shopping portfolio includes fashion pieces by local designers like Rhett Eala, Jorel España, Pinas Sadya and Azucar.

Complementing these, Spatio also features accessories from the collections by Zarah Juan, Ariel Papa, Piesa, Orias, Calli and Vesti.

BAR SHU A watering hole within the upscale department store

‘Ultimate destination’

The store has also something for customers who are into athleisure. Spatio is envisioned to be the “ultimate destination” of limited edition and exclusive releases of premium sneakers of brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics and Saucony. Sneakerheads also have a place where they can bring their shoes for cleaning and repair services at the store.

Staying true to its promise of providing a worthwhile experience, Spatio has also spots for personal care like Bruno’s Barbers and Laybare Plus.

In addition, customers can have a cup of coffee at We The People Community Cafe after doing some shopping; or sip a glass of wine at Bar Shu.

The opening of Spatio is just one of the many expansion plans RRHI has set for the year.

The retailer will launch additional 25 to 30 stores in the food segment this year. About 60 to 70 new drugstores will be operational before the year ends.

As of end-June, RRHI has 2,401 sites comprising 755 food stores, 1,082 drugstores, 49 department stores, 224 do-it-yourself stores and 291 specialty stores.