Supermarket with a twist opens in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - The new “supermarket with a twist” in Mandaue had its soft opening yesterday with affordable but good quality products on sale particularly flowers, fruits and candles that could be used on All Soul’s and All Saint’s day. 

The Kumprahan Supermerkado, located in the newly opened Bridges Town Centre in Alang-Alang St. Plaridel, Mandaue City, boasts of its concept of being a supermarket but with the products at the price of a “merkado.”

Jonathan Ramos, the chief organizer of the Kumprahan Supermerkado, said that they are optimistic the public would support the new project given the affordability of the products and the convenience of shopping it offers.

Ramos said that starting on the grand opening on November 15 and afterwards, they are expecting around 15,000 visitors and customers for the supermerkado who are mostly members of the 14 cooperatives that   operate the supermerkado.

The Kumprahan Supermerkado is operated by big cooperatives in Cebu under the Coopcentrum together with the private stakeholders that have organized the new project.

Ramos said that they expect the number of customers to increase when residents from nearby areas as well as institutional partners like the hotels, restaurants, resorts and other buyers will start coming in.

Marketworks Asia CEO Gladys Ceniza said that they are targeting everyone and not just a particular market as the Kumprahan is a place for everyone who wants to avail of the necessities at home but with an affordable price.

Ceniza said that through the Belivery.com, they expect to have greater interest from the community and the establishments not only in Mandaue but in other nearby provinces and in Metro Cebu.

The Belivery.com enables buyers to have their choice of products ordered online where there is a catalog complete with all the details of the product, and have it delivered in their homes with a delivery charge that is less than the fare for round-trip in a taxi.

The product and delivery payment is accepted through credit cards and Ceniza said that this is very convenient, especially for those who do not have time to shop for their household needs.

Ceniza also assured customers of the freshness of the products in the Kumprahan Supermerkado as these come from direct growers and producers.

Product quality is also ensured through the buy-back program that they are implementing where only meat that has been fed with high-premium feeds would be sold.

This also goes for the other products sold in the supermerkado like vegetables, fruits and other dry products.

Ceniza said that since they deal directly with the producers and the feeders, the goods sold are of lesser price like a kilo of Red Onion is only sold at P70 compared to other markets which reaches to a P100. A kilo of seedlees grapes is sold at P195 only which is usually priced at P230-up in other supermarkets. -- AJ dela Torre