Shoppesville positions itself as premier fashion destination

MANILA, Philippines - Shoppesville Arcade at Greenhills Shopping Center has embarked on a major modernization project aimed at cementing its reputation as the metro’s go-to place for fashion.

The modernization is part of the P20-billion redevelopment of the 16-hectare Greenhills Shopping Center aimed at doubling its retail space for rent.

From around 100,00 square meters of shopping area, the redevelopment is aimed at increasing floor area and adding shopping mall space to double the existing area.

“We have set Shoppesville to be the fashion zone for Greenhills shopper. We have stores that sell imported fashion finds which is something that people have come to expect from us. But because they are small outlets, our stores carry inventory in limited quantities – when people buy a shirt or a dress from a Shoppesville store, they can be reasonably sure that they have an item that is both fashionable and relatively unique,” according to Lotta Soller, special leading and marketing manager for Ortigas & Co. which owns and manages Greenhills Shopping Center and Shoppesville.

Shoppesville has emerged as the home for new Filipino fashion. “We also house what we consider to be some of the most important new fashion players, like Ochie, Apt8, Abiti, So F.A.B., Shoebox and Satin, which are run by very enthusiastic young entrepreneurs who know what is trendy, what is classic, and who know what their audience wants,” Soller added.

Soller pointed out that Shoppesville is proud to be the home for these future standard-bearers of Pinoy fashion.

“Some of these boutiques started in the Greenhills tiangge, and turned to Shoppesville when they decided to take the next step for their brands. It has been an honor to introduce them to a whole new clientele, even as we see that their original fans have followed them to their new boutiques in Shoppesville,” she noted.

Gone are the heavy, wood-and aluminum store windows that were the trademark of the old Shoppesville. They have been replaced by streamlined glass, which give the venerable mall a look more in keeping with its high-end clientele.

They have also completely overhauled their bathrooms, including installing high-tech pay lounges on the second floor. The old escalators have been replaced with wider, more modern versions, with the stairs set to be replaced by more escalators soon. Wider corridors, higher ceilings and more illumination complete the lighter, airier effect.

“We think of it is putting Shoppesville into the 21st century. We have modernized, not just renovated,” Solle emphasized.

The complete overhaul of the mall’s popular third floor – home of small boutique entrepreneurs, ‘viajera’ imported fashion from Thailand, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian locales, and PX goods and cosmetics – took even greater planning, as the stores have been rezoned and rearranged in an easier-to-navigate grid, eliminating the dead ends and creating a more organized flow to the stores.

There is also a more visible zone for menswear, allowing men to shop at boutiques such as Green Cap and Vurve while their female companions shop for proudly Pinoy originals at Satin and Abiti.

The modernized Shoppesville started the year by offering customers excellent affordable shopping experience with the three Cs of a perfect shopping destination – cleanliness, comfort, and convenience. It now boasts of higher ceilings, new lighting made more conducive to shopping, wider corridors and escalators, bright and modern flooring, and rest rooms with pay lounges, giving the shopping haven a more elegant look that is at par with high-end malls.

Despite the improvements in the mall’s interiors and facilities, Shoppesville has maintained favorite boutiques that have made the mall a household name.

With almost 1,400 mini-stores and more than 2,000 merchants, the 16-hectare Greenhills shopping center located in San Juan, Metro Manila, has always been a favorite destination for bargain-hunting shoppers looking for an assortment of retail items.

It is estimated that around 80,000 people troop to Greenhills daily during weekdays and 90,000 on weekends.