Shopwise opens one of its biggest stores to cater to a broader market base
A WIDER SELECTION OF PREmium wines. More gourmet cheeses and imported cold cuts. Fresher produce from the provinces. Broader choices of garments, appliances and house ware. Classy dining area. Every day ?crazy? bargains.

All these are a perfect come-on to the newly opened Shopwise Supercenter in Commonwealth, Quezon City.

The opening of Shopwise?s eighth branch coincided with the company?s 11th anniversary. Expect more stores to open in 2010, said Frances Yu, vice president for marketing, Rustan?s Supercenters Inc.

?I believe there?s a need to open a Shopwise in all areas where Filipinos are looking for affordable, value-for-money and good quality products,? said Yu. ?With Shopwise Commonwealth, we?d like to continue with our original founding inspiration and vision to give the middle class a better shopping experience at a very reasonable price.?

Taking a cue from Rustan?s experience of serving discerning upscale shoppers, Yu, together with his brother, general manager Donnie Tantoco, and Donnie?s wife, Crickette, has vowed to spread good customer service by offering low-cost items to a broader market base, particularly the working class. Hence, Shopwise.

?Price is a very important thing to us,? said Yu. ?It has to be competitive that everyone can afford. It?s not just about being cheap, but it?s also about giving shoppers a little extra, like quality assurance and being treated with respect and dignity. Very basic things, but something perhaps we haven?t paid as much attention to. We?ve served high-end shoppers but it should be for all Filipinos.?

Target market for Shopwise Commonwealth ranges from class A to D, said Yu, particularly the villages around Commonwealth, such as Ayala Heights, Don Antonio Heights, and Filinvest. While Commonwealth is also a commuter?s market, there are jeepneys, buses and tricycles that ply along the avenue, making it accessible to all shoppers.

Shopwise Commonwealth is one of the larger stores in the Shopwise chain, joining the league of Cubao, Alabang and Libis. Its aisles are so huge and long you can actually roller-skate through them without worrying you may hit the merchandise.

Sales staff on skates

As in the other stores, some sales staff wear roller skates to easily fix the shelves and attend to customer?s needs. From the food court on the first level, there?s a ?walkalator? that conveniently carries customers to the main shopping hall. Shoppers will be met by several checkout counters that are manned by friendly staffers who know their products quite well.

Right behind the checkout counters are the areas that carry Shopwise?s clothing line for men, women and children. There?s also the house ware section, bed and bath section which carries a huge array of merchandise that you could furnish your home or condominium with, and even appliances can be found here?television sets, DVD players, washing machines, microwaves, everything.

Begin walking toward the back and that?s where you will find the vast supermarket, fresh produce, meat, fish and deli sections one after the other. The fresh section occupies about a third of the store space.

Shopwise, Yu said, regularly compares its prices with those of wet markets and other leading competitors. Based on its comparative list, prices of such items as beef, tomatoes, onions, apples and potatoes are lower by as much as P10 to P13.

Virtually all kinds of seafood can be found here. For the fish, bugaong costs P153.75/kilo, while tilapia (small and medium) is at P88.75. Large and jumbo tilapia from Batangas range from P118.75/k to P125/k. Fresh ulang from Hagonoy, Bulacan, costs P375/k, while dalagang bukid from Roxas City and Zambales costs P159/k.

Vegetarians will also have a field day checking out the greens and fruits that are nicely displayed on the basket counter. Breads are aplenty?wheat, rye, bagels, toast, sticks, pita, etc.

There?s also fresh buco juice (P19/piece) sold on one counter, as well as freshly grated coconut at P19.25.

For a quick snack, there?s Le Gourmet which has imported cheeses and beverage. Cozy tables and chairs are provided for tired shoppers.