MANILA – The Philippine retail industry is seeing new trends as

both local and international brands continue to expand in the

country, according to a research by CBRE Asia Pacific.

CBRE said real estate developers are diversifying into the retail

segment to accommodate consumer demand for shopping convenience

where they are offered ease of access from their residences or

office.

The research and consultancy firm cited upcoming mixed-used

projects such as the Solaire expansion and City of Dreams, which

are predicted to boost the retail supply by at least 65,000 square

meters.

The new concept of “retail-tainment” is also being used by more

developers to give Filipino shoppers the “overall retail

experience,” incorporating food courts, cinemas, ice-skating

rinks, bowling alleys, children’s playgrounds, and pet parks into

shopping malls.

“The retail market in the Philippines has, and still continues to

mature. Filipinos are now after the overall retail experience,

choosing malls and outlets that give them the power of choice--

whether in food and beverage or clothing and the like. It also

helps that developers allow the interests of the tenants and

consumers to meet by giving them a convenient place to stay in,

unwind and shop,” said Rick Santos, president, chairman, and chief

executive of CBRE Philippines.

CBRE cited as an example the SM Seaside City Cebu, which will

include cinemas, an 18-lane bowling alley, a 1,020-seat theatre,

and a 250,000 square feet roof garden. SM Seaside City will be

completed in 2015.

CBRE said the retail-tainment factor is expected to attract foot

traffic as well as help landlords achieve higher returns in

branding, image and media exposure, and revenue.

The concept of retail-tainment, CBRE added, is a result of

understanding the primary interests and needs of tenants and

consumers.

In its 2014 Asia Pacific Consumer Survey “How We Like to Shop,”

CBRE said Asia Pacific consumers prioritize shopping experience

and value, convenient travelling distance, price, cleanliness, and

security.

“The Philippines’ retail market has already entered a new age.

It’s just a matter of sustaining this growth and developing it

further to integrate and match with the consumers’ changing

profiles and demands,” said Santos.

In the Philippines, 70 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) or

economic output comes from consumer spending, supported by

remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

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From shopping malls to community centers

By ARCHITECT FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR. on April 30, 2014

Our commercial centers and shopping malls are slowly turning into

small cities with integrated mixed-use and multi-use developments,

offering shopping, dining, working, entertainment, cultural,

religious and park-like settings etc. Indeed, the “malling”

culture has never been as visible as it is in the Philippines

today.

Big malls proliferate in North America and in the Asian region,

but are normally located in the suburbs to service far-flung

developments. In the Philippines, malls are located at growth

centers and have become anchor developments for many of these

growing counter magnets. These shopping malls with entertainment

and leisure centers have replaced the plazas of the town center

where people used to have paseos (leisure walks) and social

meetings. The multi-dimensional experience of “malling” in an area

primarily designed for public interaction has become a regular

activity for most people living in the urban areas in the

Philippines. Due to the hot and humid climate, people would opt to

stay inside these malls to cool off and spend their day shopping,

visiting the themed entertainment areas, dining with their

families, and watching the latest movies. The traditional shopping

centers have now evolved into a more entertainment-based activity

center rather than just purely retail.

Shopping malls have even expanded to include hotels, offices,

residential spaces, and bridges to transportation. Given the urban

problems of our metropolis, some may say that providing for nature

in the metropolis is low on the list of priorities. However, it is

precisely because of the urgency of the urban problems of

congestion, blight, and slums that the provision for open space,

or breathing space within the metropolis becomes critical. Pockets

of greenery and clusters of shrubs placed from the periphery of

the metropolis towards its center serve as air sheds to disperse

pollution, bringing in cleaner and cooler air. Green spaces also

provide the city’s children with places for play, and their

families respite from the concrete jungle which surrounds them.

According to the 2013 released book International Council of

Shopping Centers, the shopping center industry is “one of the

largest industries in the world with over 150,000 centers in

existence. It has permeated virtually every corner of the globe.

What is becoming more important is the role that design plays in

determining where consumers want to go. People love busy, active,

energetic places in their heroic pursuit of everyday life, and now

there is multitude of reasons to visit these new secular

cathedrals.”
Multi-use shopping centers

Palafox Associates understood the needs of the consumer and the

commercial aspects of the retail and entertainment business and

translated it to the physical environment to make shopping and

amusement pleasant and affordable to the consumer and at the same

time, for the retailer an opportunity to advertise, display, and

sell. The direct and simple design approach in the architectural

plan and elevation of the firm’s shopping center projects further

emphasized that the architectural design should not dominate but

rather, serve as a background to emphasize and enhance merchandise

and provide the consumer the ability to spend his time in the most

direct and convenient manner.

Palafox Associates has redefined the paradigms for the design and

construction of commercial structures engaged in retail trade by

introducing an out-of-the-usual-box mall design, as seen in

numerous shopping mall projects in the country and abroad.

Recently opened malls have included themed entertainment to

stimulate a variety of activities housed underone roof. Shoemart,

or SM, a leader in the retail and entertainment industry, has been

particularly successful catering to mixed-income group. The

controlled environment of the mall’s open space has become a source

of comfort for the urban dweller in a setting where there are a

few public spaces and parks. SM malls have also been setting a
trend in themed entertainment; to name a few, indoor theme park,

ice-skating, multiplex cinemas, bowling center and even exhibition

and trade halls.

The shopping centers Palafox Associates developed for Robinsons

Malls offer wide opportunities for regional and community

shopping. Robinsons Malls continue to reach places near and far

and turn them into viable business districts. The designed malls,

like Robinsons Starmills in Pampanga, are given a distinctively

festive look through an interplay of colors and shapes imitated

from natural elements.

The development’s architectural character is derived from turn-

of-the-century Spanish-Iloilo-Philippine architectural design:

Long arcaded hallways adorn the façade, which gives people the

freedom to walk and promenade. This flood-free development is

elevated almost two meters from the street level, allowing a

multitude of activities for shoppng, dining, working, and

entertaining. The presence of BPO units within the development

assures 24/7 security and operations which ensure the constant

flow of revenue. The verticality of the structures connects various

building elements visually and provides an interesting skyline.

Located in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, CB Mall is a project with a

Mediterranean-inspired theme. Its imagery reflects the rich

traditions of the historic city of Urdaneta, such as the watchtower

reminiscent of the bell tower used by the Katipuneros as an

observation point during the Spanish-American-Filipino War. CB

Mall has an approximate lot area of 4,400 square meters and

provides ample space for alfresco dining, department store,

supermarket, boutiques and a food court.

An appropriate homage to the client’s first and major business

venture, Fisher Mall was opened to the public early this year as

a mixed-use activity center built over a former bus terminal in

Quezon City. Composed of seven levels with two levels intended for

the parking area, Fisher Mall features a holistic and sustainable

design by encouraging social activities. It also serves as a new

mixed-use hub and landmark in the biggest city in Metro Manila.

Another development being developed in Davao City that aims to be

a catalyst for urban development and mold the future skyline is

Felcris Centrale, a mixed-use large-scale development. It will be

the site of a new mall, offices for BPO companies, and an activity

area to create a robust network of people, information, and

resource to meet the need for speed and innovation. Felcris

Centrale’s façade is sculpted to represent the traditional vintas

and Philippine Eagle, both of which are unique to Mindanao. This

is evident in the upward sloping of the development’s roofs to

mimic the Philippine eagle in flight and use of parallel lines on

the pedestrian walkways, reminiscent of the vinta’s sail pattern.

The façade is carefully designed to respond appropriately to the

Davao climate and provide comfort all year round for the occupants.

Shopping centers feed our hunger for human contact and community

interaction, and the challenge for shopping centers is to

differentiate in-person shopping from any other retail mode and

continue to offer a variety of options and experiences worth going

out for.