BIZ BUZZ: Lucky Chinatown’s new wing

It seems everyone is now looking for something new, especially in the retail space.

The historic (and iconic) Chinatown in Binondo, Manila, which teems with local and foreign tourists alike no matter the season, is set to benefit from a developer’s expansion plan.

We’re talking about Megaworld Corp., the developer behind Lucky Chinatown.

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Over the weekend, the company announced the new Imperial Wing would add three levels of “fresh retail spaces,” bringing the mall’s total gross leasable area to 36,000 square meters.

“The expansion of Lucky Chinatown through the Imperial Wing reflects our continued commitment to elevating the lifestyle experience on this side of Manila,” said Megaworld Lifestyle Malls head Graham Coates.

“We are curating a diverse and dynamic tenant mix that responds to the evolving needs and preferences of the market, as we strengthen our role as a vibrant community hub,” Coates added.

The new wing gives direct access to the Chinatown Museum and is located behind the Lucky Chinatown Hotel—pretty all around, if you ask us! —Meg J. Adonis

Gokongweis on Shopwise expansion mode

With consumer demand starting to pick up again on cooler inflation, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group has renewed its appetite for expansion of the Shopwise brand.

Last July 4, RRHI opened the latest Shopwise branch at Olivarez Plaza Mall, Calamba City in Laguna, the first since the Gateway branch was opened in 2023.

Christine O. Tueres, RRHI managing director for the food segments and big formats including Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace and Shopwise, said the opening of the new branch was part of the group’s “mission of enriching the Filipino shopping experience by providing trusted retail products and services that bring joy to their everyday experiences.”

The new Calamba branch brings to 16 the number of Shopwise locations nationwide, with more in the pipeline.

And as it opens new branches, RRHI will also refurbish the earlier ones, in a bid to fulfill the promise to “bring that international grocery shopping experience” to the everyday shopper. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Not the time for Makati, says CLI

Now that Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) has the land on which to eventually build its first Luzon project, it’s just a matter of time before it competes with other developers in Metro Manila.

It’s clear to us that the land is in Pasig—residential condominium glut aside—but what’s new (although perhaps expected) is that the prominent landowners in this city weren’t the only ones to approach CLI.

Jose Franco Soberano, CLI chief operating officer, himself told reporters that a “very prominent family” had set a “very unofficial” meeting with them to discuss CLI’s potential Luzon debut in Makati City, home of some of the biggest moneymakers in the country.

Makati seems the ideal location: after all, it is already the site of CLI’s Luzon office, tucked beside other businesses setting up shop in Metro Manila’s central business district.

But it wasn’t the right place for the developer’s next big move, Soberano said.

“While we have actually been invited to do a nice fancy condo in Makati, we declined because we feel that our ball game is addressing the need to help our housing crisis here [in Cebu],” he explained, adding that Makati and BGC may be better suited for the luxury developers.

But the Soberanos have not fully closed the door on Makati just yet. Maybe sometime in the future, when the nine Pasig towers are already standing. —Meg J. Adonis INQ