Rustan’s Supercenters (RSI) is staging a three-day festival, A World of Wine, to mark the transformation of its supermarket at Shangri-La Plaza into the Shang Marketplace.
RSI marketing assistant VP Ana Punongbayan says the revamped concept has more new offerings for customers to explore and experience as a brand shop with exclusive “non-mainstream” products.
Different design elements give the store a whole new ambiance. “Rustan’s Supermarket is very masculine, using mainly black, while Marketplace is more feminine with softer design elements,” says Punongbayan.
Brighter and bigger, the new store has wider aisles, the latest in showcases and refrigeration with less carbon emissions, and energy-efficient LED lighting.
Many Marketplace amenities are based on customer feedback, including the brand shop.
Aside from its wine selection, Shang Marketplace has a cheese section and an improved ready-to-eat unit.
Other Rustan’s supermarkets may undergo the same transformation depending on the primary market, says Punongbayan.
CEO Irwin Lee says shoppers will find “the world is at Marketplace” as the store carries brands and products from around the world.
Gourmet fare
The store’s international gourmet offerings are curated and categorised for convenience – Breakfast World, Cooking World, Fresh World, Ready-to-Eat, World of Cheese and Deli, World of Indulgence and Snacks, and daily baked items from Lartizan.
With its expansion, the Wine and Spirits World offers rare, top-tier selections. Australian ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely says Rustan’s carried about half of her country’s wine labels.
Marketplace by Rustan’s has exclusive partnerships with British supermarket chain Waitrose and French retailer Casino, as well as exclusive brand offerings like Stash, Stonewall Kitchen and Wild Harvest. The store has also brought in a wider range of paper, personal and cleaning products from Seventh Generation, which pioneers plant-based products.
Marketplace also has its own Supergoods line – products from local social enterprises such as Human Heart Nature – as well as organic produce from Holy Carabao, snacks from Pili & Pino, Sabanana and The Cracking Monkey, chocolates from Coco Dolce and Theo & Philo, and refreshments from Bayani Brew, Hope in a Bottle and Wellness Water.
