Ayala’s Digital Exchange draws tech-savvy urbanites

If you know the difference between LAN and leche flan, there might be a chance you’re one of those tech-savvy persons. The kind who leaves the room of his house that resembles the dock of Starship Enterprise and goes out into less connected world with his laptop, iPod, personal digital assistant, compact cell phone that is as powerful as a light saber and as features-laden as freakin’ control center. (Connectivity is king, so goes his philosophy.) The kind who dreams of being able to launch a space shuttle with a cell phone, or launch a thousand messages with a few jabs on the keyboards. The kind who is always connected, online, uploading or downloading. If you’re this person, and you find yourself on the third level of Glorietta 3 with a phalanx of tech gadgets, chances are you’ll salivate over the goodies at hand in one area.

The tech hub called Digital Exchange (DX) opened last October on the strip where Streetlife used to be. DX boasts concept stores from brands such as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, Panasonic, Siemens Mobile, iPod, PalmOne, Canon D-Zone, Epson, Samsung, IBM, Fuji Film, Pixel Point and Globe Telecom with its very first Platinum Lounge. What to expect from this high-tech strip? Cell phones and media players, yes. Plasma TVs, yes also. Washing machines and flat irons, definitely no.

"Normally you’d find these stores scattered all over malls," says Carmelo Jalandoni of the Ayala Commercial Centers Group retail and operations. "Digital Exchange is an integrated zone with all the different tech gadgets available. We have the first concept stores of brands such as Panasonic and Samsung."

"This is very, very convenient for our shoppers," shares Katherine Joy Lee of the Ayala Commercial Centers Group advertising and promotions department. "If they need to buy cell phones or activate roaming services they could go to Digital Exchange and fulfill both needs."

Jalandoni says that in Asia, DX is the first of its kind. "At the ground floor of Glorietta 3, you have the fashion lane. At the second floor, you have the stores for the hobbyists and the sports buffs. At the third floor, you have tech gadgets."

Shoppers could go around DX, see the latest models and compare prices. Jalandoni’s personal experience: Last week, he was looking for a cell phone that could work in Japan and quickly found one – a Nokia 6630 – at DX. "In the span of 30 minutes I got to check out different gadgets."

The entire 1,300-sq.m. area is also Wi-Fi capable and has an activity area with 10 plasma screens. You could also consume a cup of cappuccino while hatching your plans for world domination – simulation only, of course – at one of those comfy seats at Seattle’s Best. Or you could check out Epson’s store, which functions as a gallery displaying kaleidoscopic photographic printouts courtesy of Epson machines.

Gary Ramirez, Digital Exchange managing director, explains, "We encourage workshops, exhibits, seminars, launches and product demos – iPod will be having its workshop here at Digital Exchange. The area is not just for techies but for everybody."

Based on research conducted by Ayala, the key market of Glorietta is the office worker. So, Ayala Commercial Centers Group has created a zone for urbanites such as yuppies, middle managers, and executives – people who are generally regarded as tech-savvy. These people want to have the best and the latest cell phone brands and digital cameras – which have become a fusion of fashion and technology. It’s a case of the Gates keeping up with the Jobs.

"We wanted to provide for the needs of the urbanites, but we didn’t want a regular telecom lane. We wanted to elevate the shopping experience. Speaking from experience, when I buy my cell phone, I want to purchase it from the brand itself since it makes me feel safer. I’m assured of quality and if there’s something wrong with the phone, I could return it," says Jalandoni.

DX also shows how Ayala works with its merchants in developing a concept. The merchants were happy to embrace and develop it. "Digital Exchange won in our Ayala Mall Merchant Rewards," Lee enthuses.

"Not only were we able to put the top brands together, we also put up service centers. Repairs in the gray market are cheaper, but here you are more assured," Ramirez says.

The bottom line, according to Jalandoni: "Our stores have their own identity. We have lots of open space. We want Digital Exchange to be convenient for shoppers to go around, look at the gadgets, make product comparison, and try to find what’s right for them."

Several competing brands in one strip and jockeying for the shopper’s short attention span, isn’t that akin to different plants growing out of the same pot?

"Actually the brands don’t mind going head to head with each other – pabonggahan sila," concludes Jalandoni. "They try to outdo each other in terms of store display. Digital Exchange really is a techie’s nirvana."