Business
PHILIPPINES: SM Megamall announces exciting new expansion beside the recently launched Mega Fashion Hall — a 50-storey office tower
- PHILIPPINES: SM Megamall announces exciting new expansion beside the recently launched Mega Fashion Hall — a 50-storey office tower
Pasay City, Philippines, 2016-Aug-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — SM Megamall is still at the heart of a mall revolution even after 25 years since opening its doors to the public. As the third mall of retail pioneer Henry Sy, Sr., SM Megamall has evolved into one of SM’s most versatile developments, poised to redefine the shopping landscape with an exciting new expansion.
Rising on the lot beside the recently launched Mega Fashion Hall is a 50-storey office tower spanning over 170,000 square meters of gross floor area which is targeted for completion in 2019.
“SM has always been about innovation. This will be a modern and well-designed tower with huge surprises on the retail side. It will be very exciting,” SM Supermalls Senior Vice President Steven Tan said.
The design of the new tower is a curvy S-shape that represents the next step in the architectural evolution of the mall, shared Architect Fides Hsu, SM Engineering Design and Development Corp. Vice President for Design. The interior will be modern and corporate, and will take its cue from the tower’s architecture.
SM Megamall opened its doors to the public some 25 years ago on June 28, 1991 with a total floor plate of 311,898 square meters that stretched for almost a mile and consisted of six levels. It showcased SM Department Store, two SM Supermarkets, a food court, 12 cinemas, a bowling center, the first ice skating rink, the Megatrade Hall and an art walk which featured a whole floor of art galleries and exhibits.
Over the course of several years, SM Megamall underwent a number of expansions and enhancements to cater to a highly dynamic market. SM Megamall first expanded in 2009 when it opened Mega Atrium that connected Buildings A and B on Julia Vargas, adding 16,368.64 sqm of retail space. It features the Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord at 1,700 sqm and showcases trendy and premium brands such as GAP, Promod, Springfield, and restaurants like Sambokojin, Mesa, Yabu, Chili’s, Kichitora, Choi Garden, Amici, and Filipino favorites Barrio Fiesta and Cabalen to name a few. In 2011, it added the Carpark Building C fronting the busy avenue of EDSA that housed offices, additional parking areas and a transportation terminal that caters to 1,850 buses a day or an average of 142 buses per hour.
Mega Fashion Hall was unveiled in 2014 which redefined the mall’s market reach and housed the flagship store of H&M as well as one of the biggest Zara and Uniqlo stores in the country. It was also the launch pad of furniture powerhouse Crate and Barrel. Michelin-star restaurants like Tim Ho Wan and Din Tai Fung also found their way to the new hall. Designed like a semi-circular drum with a wedge-shaped atrium facing EDSA, the new hall’s exterior design was inspired by bar codes. “With Mega Fashion Hall, it attracted an even wider market, ultimately changing the customer mix of Megamall,” Tan said. With the opening of Mega Fashion Hall, the mall expanded to a total of 474,225 sqm making it one of the largest in the country.
Beyond innovation
More than its retail offerings, every innovation done at every SM mall has created more value for SM’s properties as well as its host communities. SM Prime Chairman Henry Sy, Jr. recalled that this was due to his father’s acumen in spotting opportunities. In the case of SM Megamall, the opportunity came in the aftermath of a coup d’etat, an energy crisis, an earthquake and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo between the 1980s to the 1990s.
At that time, Sy said his father, Henry Sy, Sr. was keenly interested in a five hectare property located on the corner of Ortigas Avenue and EDSA that belonged to the Ortigas family. The elder Sy just opened his first mall on North EDSA in 1985 and was on the scout for the next opportunity. Fellow businessman John Gokongwei was also interested in the property.
The area then was being valued at PHP1,800 to PHP2,000 per square meter. “Residential lots in the posh village Corinthian Gardens were selling for PHP4,000 per sqm. So we thought, how can we go wrong,” Sy said.
To break an impasse during the bidding, a toss coin was suggested which was won by the Gokongwei group. The losing bidder would instead get an option to buy a slightly smaller property located along EDSA between Ortigas Avenue and Shaw Boulevard that would be the site of SM Megamall.
Not to be fazed by this momentary setback, SM quickly expanded and was able to secure additional hectares beside its initial property bringing the total to about 11.5 hectares.
“Today, if you were to buy property in that area, it would be at PHP200,000 per square meter,” Sy said.
SM’s constant desire to innovate and enhance its developments has helped property values to appreciate over time especially in the surrounding communities which has resulted in a booming business environment in that particular side of the EDSA corridor.
“When we started Megamall, a lot of people questioned its viability. A lot of them asked, who will go there. And I said, the whole EDSA will be our customer. Whoever passes through EDSA, from Caloocan to Pasay, would be our market,” the younger Sy added.
Glenn Ang, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President who worked as SM’s regional manager also recalled that the new mall drew people mainly from the east corridor like Cainta and Antipolo and other municipalities in Rizal. When the MRT was built in 2000, SM Megamall became more accessible to crowds from Caloocan to Pasay. It also attracted people from the northern provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga who reached the mall by bus.
“With the combination of SM North EDSA and SM Megamall, this really triggered the mall revolution,” Sy said.
Beyond its exciting retail offerings, SM Megamall has also made huge inroads in incorporating sustainable features into the mall. Hsu said the mall maximizes natural light by having high ceilings, sky lights and bigger glass windows using double glazed Low-E panels to conserve energy. It also uses a ceiling finish that is made from recycled paper waste. It has also migrated to the use of LED lights that can reduce energy consumption by 50% to 60% and last around 60,000 burning hours.
To conserve water, it implements a water recycling program and uses fixtures that support the efficient use of water. It also promotes viable solid waste management by segregating its daily trash, recycling and bringing the remainder to accredited government disposal facilities.
Through the integrated bus terminal, the mall is able to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring transport operators to submit certification for emission tests. More so, the terminal helps decongest traffic along EDSA by providing adequate and appropriate loading and waiting stations for commuters. SM Megamall has also implemented a Business Continuity Management System which has been recently certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), affirming SM’s commitment to continue to be in business especially during or right after a calamity.
SM Megamall was recently given the CERTIFICATION ISO 22301-2012 (Business Continuity Management System) as validation of its commitment to the public to run organization resiliency, recovery and contingency programs to ensure business continuity in the event of any disruptions. SM Megamall enjoys the honor as the only mall in the country to have been awarded such certification, given by a recognized testing company TUV SUD Singapore.
Also, like in all SM malls, SM Megamall also caters to the special needs of persons with disabilities through PWD-friendly ramps, elevators and service areas.
Listening ever so closely to its markets, SM Megamall is getting ready for its next phase of development keeping in mind the Sy family’s goal of always building things “bigger and better” for the benefit of its millions of customers and host communities.
“Every single day that you walk in any SM mall, you have to walk with a purpose. That is what the Sy family has taught us. That means always looking for constant improvement, constant innovation and an interpretation of what the market is wishing and hoping for and want to see,” SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia said.
Contact:
Ms. Corazon P. Guidote
Senior Vice President for Investor Relations
SM Investments Corporation
E-mail: cora.guidote@sminvestments.com
Tel. No. (632) 857-0117 www.sminvestments.com
Source: SM Investments Corporation
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GHENT, 14-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Franklin Junction partners with Casper, a modern day food hall offering 100% virtual orders for takeout and delivery, to expand iconic American restaurant brands to Benelux and France. Franklin Junction founder, Rishi Nigam, and Casper founder, Matthias Laga, presented their expansion plans at the recent International Ghost Kitchen Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Franklin Junction has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023 as they continue to deliver innovative technology solutions for restaurants in the US and now abroad. Leading the way with their proprietary Host Kitchen® model, Franklin Junction has grown into a full suite of solution services to empower restaurant success in the digital age. In 2022, Franklin Junction introduced its AI-powered digital food hall that allows consumers to order food and earn loyalty from multiple concepts in a single transaction and delivery.
“As industry leaders driving the growth of American restaurant brands in new markets, we have received a tremendous amount of interest to expand to the European market for a few years now,” shares Franklin Junction CEO Rishi Nigam. “After getting to know Matthias and the entire Casper team over the past year, we have full confidence that they are a trusted partner to expand globally with and we’re thrilled to bring iconic American fare to new diners across Europe.”
Casper launched in Ghent, Belgium and raised €5 million for their Series A in 2022 with the objective of creating a hybrid restaurant and food hall model where customers can walk-in to place orders for takeout or order through digital channels for delivery. In just a short time, Casper has expanded to over 10 locations in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, with an expansion goal of 50 kitchens by 2024.
“We’re very excited to partner with Franklin Junction and begin by introducing Nathan’s Famous’ authentic New York flavors to our European customers in the coming weeks,” states Matthias Laga, Co-founder and CEO of Casper. “Franklin Junction uniquely understands restaurants, multi-concept food halls, and restaurant eCommerce and their proprietary processes are extremely virtuous for all stakeholders.”
SOURCE: EuropaWire
The Retailer will interview CEOs, influencers, and professional athletes on a weekly basis
New York, New York, USA, 2022-Dec-23 — /EPR Network/ — coop & spree, the New York City based contemporary retailer, has launched a podcast called coop convos, which is all things business, retail, sports and wellness. Coop convos is hosted by coop & spree CEO and founder, Brooke S. Richman, who will interview various business leaders, tastemakers, and influencers in their aforementioned industries. Since Richman is an avid New York Knicks Fan (the Spree in coop & spree comes from her childhood pup’s name which paid homage to former Knick, Latrell Sprewell), she’s even interviewed and secured some former NBA stars.
The Podcast is available on over 10 platforms, and the first episode will likely air February 1st, 202 depending on the rifting process. To date, Richman has secured over 35 prestigious guests and has already recorded episodes with Stephanie Gottlieb, founder of Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry, Dale Stabler, wellness entrepreneur and co-founder of Sweats + The City, co-founder of the Orro + Theheard apps, and Allan Houston, the 2x NBA All-Star for the New York Knicks, Olympic Gold Medalist, and founder of FISLL,
Notable confirmed guests include Emily Faith Strauss, founder and designer of EF Collection, Helen Hall-Leland, CEO of Blender Bombs and Hustle Smoothie Bar, Alexa Leigh Meyer Mufson, founder and designer of Alexa Leigh, and John Wallace, former NBA star, current investor, philanthropist and New York Knick radio host.
During the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Richman moved temporarily from her NYC apartment to her childhood home in Greenwich, CT, where she learned how to code and created her e-comm website, coopandspreevip.com. Since her Elizabeth Street store in NYC was closed due to the pandemic, she had all her vendors ship her orders to her CT home where she fulfilled them. When she wasn’t opening new merchandise or packaging her clients’ orders, she would use Instagram live as a way to engage with her coop & spree audience, since she no longer could interact with them in person. She decided to start interviewing different designers and influencers, many of whom she knew and many of whom she had never met, and she absolutely loved it. So did her audience. It turned into a weekly tradition and the rest, as they say, is history. Not only did these weekly IG TV “interviews” create much needed connection at a time of unprecedented isolation, but also, they provided Richman, and coop & spree, with a new way of engaging with both customers and vendors.
Coop convos has the same format as Richman’s IG lives, where Richman focuses on each guest’s career path and personal story, in a relaxed format, that seems less like an interview and more like two old friends catching up. While the Podcast’s main goal is to provide valuable and informative insights and resources to those specifically interested in entrepreneurship, retail, sports, and wellness, Richman promises it’s also filled with lighthearted banter and just the right number of laughs.
WEBSITES:
coopandspreevip.com
coopconvos.com
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM:
@coopandspree
@coop_convos
ABOUT COOP & SPREE
coop & spree, the brainchild of founder and CEO Brooke S. Richman, first opened in August 2014 in downtown New York City’s Nolita neighborhood as a multi-brand contemporary women’s apparel, accessory, and jewelry boutique. While it was solely brick-and-mortar by design when it opened, coop & spree had to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now a full-fledged omni-channel retailer with over 70 brands. It operates both a physical store in New York City’s NoHoc neighborhood, via appointment only, and has an e-commerce shopping site. In addition to selling women’s contemporary apparel, accessories, and jewelry, coop & spree has expanded its product offering to include an extensive assortment of children’s apparel and accessories, health and wellness products, paper goods, novelty items and more. coop & spree was just listed this month as a winner on the Inc. Magazine’s Best of Business 2022 list in the “Lean and Mean” category due to its unwavering commitment to philanthropy, specifically to NYC based non-profits which help underprivileged youths in NYC. It’s been featured in publications such as Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Times, US Weekly, Huffington Post, Business Insider and more.
For media inquires:
media@coopandspree.com
NICOSIA, Cyprus, 2022-Sep-28 — /EPR Network/ — ContactPigeon, one of the leading omnichannel customer engagement platforms for retailers in Europe and the USA, expands its operations in Cyprus. By building up a special team of professionals that will be based in the neighboring country, ContactPigeon will be providing its customer engagement services to its cross-industry clients that are operating there. With this expansion, the Greek startup aims to consolidate its reach to the thriving Cyprus market.
Furthermore, ContactPigeon becomes an official sponsor for the 14th e-Commerce Conference that took place in Nicosia, Cyprus on the 20th of September 2022.
The E-Commerce Conference by IMH is a benchmark for the e-commerce industry in Cyprus. With industry experts as keynote speakers and leading businesses as sponsors and participants, the conference presents the upcoming, international trends in the e-commerce sector as well as case studies that provide attendees with valuable knowledge and insights. The 14th E-Commerce Conference is addressed to entrepreneurs, Commercial Managers, Marketing & Communication and advertising professionals, Digital Managers, and also those who are interested to start operating in the e-Commerce sector.
This year, the participants had the opportunity to meet with ContactPigeon members at its booth and learn about the company’s activities and the benefits of its omnichannel customer engagement platform.
About ContactPigeon
ContactPigeon empowers marketing leaders and business owners with the only omnichannel customer engagement platform built for retailers. The platform is designed to deliver perfectly timed and personalized messages for each customer, regardless of whether the point of contact is offline or online. The company has been awarded numerous industry awards and distinctions since 2015 and is also a member of the Pledge 1% corporate philanthropy movement. Its client base consists of hundreds of retailers in Europe and the USA such as Fujitsu, Tommy Hilfiger, GAP, and L’OREAL.
Contacts
Anna Fotopoulou
Content Marketing Coordinator
+30 211 8006178
marketing@contactpigeon.com
www.contactpigeon.com
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