"People in the area actually walk to the mall from their homes," says Luigi Gimenez, lease manager of the new Robinsons Metro East Mall in Pasig City.
Luigi shares that since the mall’s soft opening on Aug. 31, more than 100,000 customers go in and out of it a day. "This means that our mall is indeed attracting a lot of customers. I think that Robinsons Metro East has just the right mix of stores to attract people from the A, B and C markets," Luigi shares.
To date, we are informed that there are more than 200 tenants within this"mid-sized" mall.
Robinsons Metro East has been attracting crowds from the Pasig, Marikina, Cogeo and Cainta areas, many of them from the 57 residential villages in the area. "The area is basically residential and is a highly urbanized area," he shares.
Dimensione, Bench, Her Bench, Bench Fix Salon, Planet Perfume, Popeye’s, Nike Stadium, Chicken, Caterpillar and Hush Puppies are among the shops which Luigi rattles off when we ask him what shops have decided to locate there.
"But there are many more people who are interested in putting up shop at the mall," Luigi says proudly. "They have started coming in now since they have seen the potential of the location of the store."
"Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits is the first of this US franchise in the country," Luigi shares, focusing on a new treat the mall has for shoppers, whether they are from nearby or from farther neighborhoods. "There is also Planet Perfume which is an LA based concept which uses 100 percent perfume. The store has a database of all perfume scents and if there is a certain scent you want they can have it for you in a week or two."
Of course, the loyal customers of The Big R will be drawn to the Metro East Mall. "The Big R opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m.," shares Lorna Tamayo of the Big R.
What makes the Big R different from megasupermarkets is there is no membership fee. The place is cool and convenient and at the Big R there are goods packaged in big packs for wholesalers and retailers who are regulars at the store.
The fresh produce area of the Big R is a favorite among early morning shoppers, who know they can get real fresh fish and meat which are sold at competitive prices with the wet markets around, says Lorna.
"This is why the Big R has its own entrance, so that even if the mall is still closed people can come to the Big R," Lorna says. "But there is also an entrance to the Big R from the mall so that the shoppers who come during shoping hours can check out the mall before proceeding to the Big R," adds Luigi.
Other Robinsons-run stores in Metro East are a two-floor department store, the Handy Man and Dreamzone. Matter of fact, the Handyman store is the second biggest such store after the one at Robinsons Place Manila.
"This is also the first Robinsons where each level has access to the parking lots. There are almost 1,000 parking spaces," says Luigi. Luigi adds that the mall will be fully operational by December with its fifth floor having a total of eight cinemas.
The mall has been designed to cater to the different needs of its discerning clientele, the Robinsons’ people say, which is why there are anchor stores on each floor. The first level has the Big R, the second level the Robinsons Department Store, third level has the upscale boutiques, the fourth level houses the food court and the fifth level the cinemas.
"We believe that people in the Pasig and Marikina areas are ready for the Robinsons experience. After all it is here in Robinsons Metro East that we offer efficiently priced high quality products for all our customers," Luigi concludes.