Remembering Shoe Mart Carriedo

We are in awe at how Henry Sy transformed a small shoe store to become a leading business enterprise. Definitely through hard work and perseverance.

I bought my first pair of high-heeled shoes – 3 inches high, black, sling-backed made of gamusa – from Shoe Mart on Carriedo street in Quiapo. That was during our university days when we (coeds) were all trying to look like grown up ladies. Needless to say we had a difficult time balancing and maintaining our poise. But we learned and became experts. The rest is history – we easily wearing high-heeled shoes and SM expanding to become one of the biggest (if not the biggest) retailers, not only of shoes but a vast collection of everything a person needs, from shoes to garments, linens, furniture, etc. Name your needs, Shoe Mart, now carrying the brand name SM, has it.

We are in awe at how Henry Sy transformed a small shoe store to become a leading business enterprise. Definitely through hard work and perseverance. On a smaller scale, there are quite a few women and men who progressed from small to comparatively successful ventures. They are all around us. We have seen how this was achieved by those who started small and rose to greater heights. 

Some years ago, a lady knocked on our door. She was carrying a box of tarts  for us to try. Her name is Rowena. At that time tarts were not as popular. Rowena had the foresight to think it would catch on. It did! The enterprising lady put up a store along the highway to Tagaytay. The rest is history. Rowena’s Tarts outlet soon became a must stop for motorists. She expanded her inventory to include other native delicacies, some sourced from different suppliers.

As an inevitable spin off, Rowena started offering meals, basically authentic native dishes such as bulalo. What started as a dining place with two small tables within the store is now housed in a pavilion- type structure with an efficient kitchen and service staff. She has built a small chapel in a corner of the compound.

Now that is indeed a success story of hard work, strong resolve to attain success while meeting the needs of people who like good food and sweets. Today, motorists to and from Tagaytay no longer stop only to buy fruits but to take home pasalubongs from Rowena’s.

There are many women like the enterprising Rowena in our midst. Actually a number of homemakers are already engaged in home-based food ventures. Maybe one day one of them will make it big!

Have a fulfilling Sunday!

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E-mail me at [email protected].