During a recent vacation to the Philippines, I made sure to take photos and pay closer attention to my retail experience so that I could share what it’s like to shop there compared to the United States.
Retail is Different But the Same
At first glance, retail in the Philippines isn’t that much different than here in the U.S., most notably if you’re in a highly developed area of the country. There are a variety of grocery stores, and walking around the mall feels like walking around a typical mall here. Unless of course, you’re braving the ridiculously huge Mall of Asia or Megamall. For electronics, you won’t find a plethora of big specialty stores similar to Best Buy, just as you wouldn’t easily find stores devoted to sporting goods such as Sport Chalet. Instead, like many things in the Philippines, it’s easier to find smaller boutique-style shops in a mall or department store where there is far less merchandise and more customer service and attention.
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Easy Does It.
It’s always “hustle and bustle” in the Philippines, so convenience is always a good thing. Check out a couple retail types I found designed to save time and save money too:
Hack your printer and spend less money on ink! This printer ink refill station sells modification kits that uses tubes to connect your printer to much larger ink tanks. It’s a popular hack, as I spoke to the owner of a Camera shop/Photo lab who uses these to keep his costs low.
Retail Puns
Store naming is always a fun topic when it comes to retail in the Philippines. Before my trip I was asked to take special note of any fun store names. “Legend” has it there are store names like Scissors Palace, Anita Bakery, Hair Force One, Summa Cum Laundry — just a few of the many very “punny” names that can be found there. Maybe I wasn’t in the right city — I didn’t have the greatest luck finding many great gems like those, but I did find a few:
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With All Due Respect
The Philippines takes good care of its older citizens and also those that need special attention. You’ll normally see signs like this in many retail establishments to help give them priority and a better, more comfortable experience. At the age of 60, people are allowed to carry a special “senior citizens card,” which gives them other special privileges like discounts on food, entertainment, medical/dental services, and even discounts on their utility bills.
Looking Back
The Philippines may be a continuously developing country, but when you’re in a major commercial or retail environment, sometimes it can be hard to tell. Spend your time close to the city and you’ll find yourself feeling like you’re downtown somewhere in the U.S. Price-wise you won’t necessarily find great shopping deals there unless it’s for food. For the price of a mid-range restaurant in the U.S., you can eat like royalty. And while malls are generally on the insanely large size, grocery stores look and feel just as they do in the U.S. With any luck you’ll run into a cleverly named store, which always makes for good anecdotes when reminiscing about your visit. Maybe on my next trip I’ll get a chance to have another unique retail experience.
This BLOG was written by Joel Penos, a Senior Art Director at JDA, Inc.
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