As early as 9 a.m., a big crowd had already formed outside the newly renovated Corso Marconi. And when the gates finally opened at exactly 12 noon, they stormed into the store, rummaging rack after rack of designer clothes, and fell in line at the cashier to avail themselves of the store’s uber promotion. From 12 noon to 12:05, the first customers to reach the cash register got to buy an item of their choice for only P1. Beyond that, they purchased their choice merchandise for only P10, P100 and P1,000.
"This was a one-of-a-kind promo. It had never been done here before," said Filipino-Italian businessman Freddy Panicucci, the man at the helm of the Linea Italia Group and Corso Marconi. "We wanted to show people that their peso is still worth something here and that we remain positive about the market."
Panicucci’s consultant in Italy Ariel Raccah said he was quite pleased with the public’s incredible reception of their one-day reopening blowout.
From elegant evening dresses and smart suits to funky women’s shoes and stylish accessories, the people who came to Corso Marconi’s re-opening salvo were treated to the 2003 collections of leading Italian brands that included Versace Jeans Couture, Miss Sixty, Trussardi Jeans, D&G, Energie, Moschino, Max Mara, Pal Zileri, Cerruti, Iceberg, Byblos, Alberta Ferretti and Ferre Jeans.
The new Corso Marconi sports a different color – a reddish brown hue that is the perfect complement to its cool Caribbean vibe.
"What we did was a concept renovation. We didn’t just have a paintjob. We upgraded not only the look of the store but the merchandise selection as well," Panicci explained. "Corso Marconi will be more aggressive now and will continue to be a trailblazer in the fashion industry. The re-opening promo was just the beginning of more wonderful things to come for the customers".
Fashion lovers can check out the 2003 collection available at 50 percent discount. There are also amazing buys at P250 and below on red, silver, green, blue and purple tags.
Corso Marconi is open Mondays to Sundays from 12 nn to 8 p.m. It is located at 2305 Marconi corner Morse Sts., Makati City with telephones 843-24-40/728-5369.