Published by : Business World Online ]
BY RAOUL J. CHEE KEE, Sub-Editor
___________________________________
Offers 'premium but still accessible' options
After all the mall developments in Quezon City, Makati and Taguig, one can’t be faulted in thinking it was high time some changes were made in Manila — at least in terms of shopping and dining options.
Raoul J. Chee Kee View from the atrium of Robinsons Place Manila’s Midtown wing — Earlier this week, Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) invited members of the lifestyle press for lunch at the atrium of their latest mall development.
The Midtown Wing is still part of Robinsons Place Manila but its designers have taken a totally new direction. Unlike the original mall that was compact and had slightly narrow hallways, the new wing with its four levels consisting of food, retail and entertainment sections is expansive and brightly lit.
That afternoon, as we sampled the signature dishes of the different food tenants, several people remarked on how Midtown looked like a totally different mall.
The atrium was spacious and, at least for that afternoon, devoid of kiosks selling snacks and trinkets found in practically all other mall developments.
Cornelio "Nilo" Mapa, general manager of the Robinsons Malls, said that the wing’s new look and tenant mix had "evolved according to the demands of the market."
"We had to consider what our target market wanted and then came up with something
that met that demand."
Tenant mix
Asked how they drew up the tenant mix, Mr. Mapa said it was a combination of approaching established merchants whom they wanted to be part of the mall, and doing their own research and contacting small but promising brands.
To this end, brands like Gap, Kenneth Cole and Topshop will share the "same address" — if not the same floor — with Sucree Patisserie and Cerealicious, among others.
"We want the Midtown wing to consist of brands that might be considered more premium but still be accessible," he said.
At the time of our visit, several stores had opened but new restaurants and boutiques are expected to open weekly. According to Mr. Mapa, he expects the entire wing to be fully operational by the end of the second quarter of this year.
As the malls’ general manager, he has more than a basic knowledge about what Robinsons mall-goers like.
He said that the Filipino’s primary form of entertainment is eating and watching movies hence the construction of three new cinemas.
"We might consider putting an extra ticket booth at the ground floor so that people who plan to watch a movie at the new cinemas can buy their tickets and still get to look around or have a bite to eat before heading to the fourth level," Mr. Mapa said.
While the new wing is bound to get a lot of notice, he said that they had no intentions of ignoring the existing mall.
_________________________________________
