Malls are virtually a “second home” for most Filipinos. A national survey revealed that around 80 percent of the population has made it a habit to visit a shopping center, with 36 million people going to the mall once or twice a month.
Malls are almost always crowded, especially during weekends as a “one-stop shop” for fulfilling various consumer needs: to buy food and other household essentials, meet with colleagues or friends, eat or watch a movie, pay the bills, hear Mass, or even just to walk around and enjoy respite from the heat at the fully-airconditioned venues.
It is exactly this aspect for providing the needs of its target market which has worked well for the success and resiliency of Ever Gotesco malls, an established name in the industry with more than 30 years’ experience of running the “one-stop shop” complex. Even with the recent economic crises, Ever Gotesco malls has maintained its number of branches around Metro Manila, its loyal patrons still intact and highly valued as members of the community or neighborhood.
Ever Gotesco malls pioneered the concept of the “community mall” where the immediate vicinity benefits from the shopping convenience offered at strategically located branches, specifically in Ortigas, Pasig; Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City; Monumento/Caloocan; Recto, Manila. This year, the company launched a new campaign in Ortigas and Commonwealth aimed at strengthening their brand identity, and inviting everyone to their stores with the tagline: “Mag Ever Tayo.”
“When we started 30 years ago, we’ve always had the Filipino family in mind,” said Joel Go, president of Ever Gotesco Malls. “It is important for us to be the provider of family needs, so that when they need anything, they can just go to our mall which is located right within their neighborhood or community. They don’t have to travel far and waste valuable time, money and effort.”
“We want the statement ‘Mag Ever Tayo’ to be present in every home that surrounds our malls,” said Chie S. Arao, corporate marketing manager of Ever Gotesco Malls. “Since we are practically part of their neighborhood, we want our clients residing within the 8-km radius of the store to associate us with their essential needs such as groceries, play time, household needs, and even for various occasions such as birthdays, celebrations, and other situations that take place in every home. Ever shall always be there to provide their basic needs,” Chie explained.
Go added that another advantage of Ever Gotesco malls is its thrust for being market-oriented, manifested through the line-up of tenants gathered to address the needs of their clientele. “We are confident to say that we have a better feel of what our market needs. We certainly have shops with popular brand names mixed with the more affordable ones.” For instance, in Ortigas, which is a family community composed of subdivision dwellers from Ortigas, Pasig, Cainta, and parts of Rizal, we have more of family-friendly tenants like amusement centers, play areas, entertainment areas, a big Jollibee outlet, a medical clinic, and basic services like a barber shop on the ground floor, among others. We tailor-fit the list of tenants according to what our market needs and not just randomly assign any shop there,” he explained.
On the other hand, the Commonwealth branch, which is located near sprawling middle-income communities in the areas of Commonwealth Avenue, Fairview, and Batasan – offers three levels of the department store, the biggest supermarket and amusement center for families and government employees residing in the area. It also has a big number of cellphone shops to cater to the young market and BPO workers, and a tiangge or flea market catering to the needs of the masses within the vicinity.
The recent economic crunch felt all over the world has also emerged as an advantage for Ever Gotesco malls, Chie noted. “Everyone is trying all their means to save, so for us, it’s an opportunity to strengthen our key points, which are affordability and convenience. You can get your basic needs from us, so you don’t have to spend money on gas or transportation because we’re just a walk away from your neighborhood.”
As part of the “Mag Ever Tayo” campaign, the Ortigas and Commonwealth branches will launch marketing efforts to reach their surrounding communities. The malls are expected to participate in the community events and reach out to their neighbors as a valuable member of society.
For inquiries, call 735-6901 or e-mail: info@evermalls.com.ph or mktg@evermalls.com.ph.