Growing the business... literally & inversely

Attended two SM events/launches recently, and was struck by how prescient its marketing initiatives have become, seeking growth by establishing dominant footholds in specific niches. One event was for SM Babies, a new line of 100-percent organic cotton infant wear, hence the “inversely” in the title; and the second was a SM Ladies Fashion Plus Size event, and so the “literally” of the title. And before the politically correct among you raise your eyebrows with a “Did he just make his title poke fun at the weight challenged?” know that the women who took part in the search for the plus-size image model were proud of their girth, and the fact is, the merchandise for this retail niche does have to literally “grow!”

We all know there are free-standing stores that specialize in the maternity and infant category, but as a department store section, with economically priced merchandise, SM Kids Fashion is taking the stand that quality and design do not have to be sacrificed in order to maintain keenly competitive price points. For SM Kids Fashion brand manager Jo Dy-Juanco and her team, it’s a matter of playing “Big Sister” to their suppliers. They don’t just canvass suppliers and procure, but they also take the active step of helping their qualified suppliers design and produce specific items in order to upgrade and diversify the selection that their section can proudly display and sell. During the event, it was the St. Patrick and Tiny Tummies infant wear collection that was highlighted. If ever the supplier companies plan to go into export, they would be aligned with the global trend, given the 100-percent organic cotton fabric composition of their apparel.

It was just two years ago, in 2011, that SM Ladies Fashion launched Jus’ Your Size and Jus’ Jeans lines for the plus-size market. The philosophy of the sub-brand being that curvier women could still enjoy chic fashion trends while embracing their body shapes. They could even wear jeans that had flattering silhouettes, despite their full figures. It was all about recognizing that this niche market did exist, and that the women wearing 1L to 4L sizes still have the right to don fashionable clothes and outfits, and it was up to SM Ladies Fashion to be among those who would make this possible. To reinforce this, the Plus Size Model Search was created last year, and the event I attended was the announcing of the Year 2 winner. That honor fell to Barbara Bang, who garnered a one-year modeling contract, plus a trip for two to an exciting surprise destination. She’s now an SM Ladies brand ambassador, and the smile and pride on her face was worth her weight in gold!

Initiatives such as these show SM continuously strive to upgrade its merchandise, and identify segments in the market where it can show that affordable does not have to mean one jettisons style, flair or quality. A friend of mine who’s sponsored by SM Ladies Fashion for the numerous events she hosts, Issa Litton, posts her outfits on Facebook; and she was making “kwento” the other day how quite frequently the comments have to do with how great she looks, and they can’t believe she’s wearing SM. Quietly but surely, SM is out to show that the democratization of fashion is here and now, spearheaded by establishments such as SM Department Store.

Asian currency and dream money

  Two of the three novels today are authored by Asians, Malaysian Tash Aw and Pakistani Moshan Hamid, who have made waves in the global literary scene; while the third comes from an old hand who’s one of my favorites, Christopher Priest. All three are compelling, entertaining and eminently readable!

Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw (available at National Book Store) Ostensibly, this is an intricately plotted story about five Malaysians seeking fame, fortune, love and destiny in Shanghai. It’s the Asian diaspora held up to a harsh, unforgiving light; and giving the phenomenon the “great novel” it deserves. There’s Phoebe, a struggling factory girl/spa attendant; there’s Justin, son of an insurance and real estate mogul, now bewildered and lost in Shanghai while trying to make a deal push through; there’s “off-the-rails” pop star Gary, and Yunghui, former activist, now successful businesswoman. And lastly, the enigmatic Walter, “billionaire”/puppet master. As their lives intersect, flit dangerously close to each other, we are enthralled by this treatise on what it means to dream and hope for a better future in modern Asia.

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Moshan Hamid (available at Fully Booked) Written in the form of a self-help book, replete with chapter headings that echo the books of that genre, Hamid’s latest is an outrageous piece of writing that deserves acclaim. The story basically chronicles the rise (and fall) of an impoverished boy as he elevates himself from the slums in order to be a mini-mogul, selling bottled water in a Third World country. Interspersed in this classic tale, is the sub-theme of his attachment to a pretty neighborhood girl he never felt he could match with, and whose own ascendant path is done via modeling, acting, and then, becoming a lifestyle businesswoman. Gritty, cynical, at times sarcastic, this is one powerful mirror of our times, and while there is the self-help veneer, it reads like a modern-day parable, morality lesson.

The Islanders by Christopher Priest (available at National Book Store) Priest is that rare writer who has created a reputation both in the straight literary genre and in the science-fiction category. The novel you may be most familiar with is The Prestige, which was turned into a film by Christopher Nolan, and stands as one of my best films about magic. The Islanders is written in the form of a gazetteer, a travel companion to a fictitious group of islands — the meticulously created “dream archipelago.” At the same time, there’s a suspicious murder that is unraveled within the format of chapters of island descriptions, and a cad of an artist, who seems to perpetually leave the scenes of his crimes. When even the narrator is revealed as untrustworthy (and possibly dead), we’re left with fiction that dazzles and confounds in equal measure.