#SUPPORTLOCAL is a hashtag that’s been used a lot on social media, and it’s really a heartwarming progress how the youth of today are actually thinking consumers supporting local and quality brands that have popped up like mushrooms everywhere.
Multi-brand retail store Urban Lifestyle saw the chance to be a platform for these local online businesses that have superb products that are made by Filipino hands. Owners Charmaine Ong de Leon and Ruby Anne Pansoy, together with their partners, opened the store last July 1 and cater exclusively to locally produced brands.
Ruby and Charmaine are also the brains behind Pop District Bazaar, which is a gathering of small businesses ranging from food, and fashion to lifestyle. The two wanted to give their local tenants a permanent space as well as invite more tenants to display their locally made items.
The carefully curated local brands were found from laborious hours of research, social media “stalking,” word of mouth and recommendations from friends. The team from Urban Lifestyle reached out to most of the local online brands and convinced them to put their items on display at their retail store.
Today they have about 30 brands at the store ranging from women’s wear, men’s wear, men and women’s shoes and, baby products, to beauty products (yes, there is a local makeup brand, Psychee Cosmetics!), lifestyle products and so on. These are all locally made in Cebu, Bohol and Manila.
“We wanted it to be really diverse. We’re still looking for other stuff like baby clothing or maybe something for the pets and then more men’s wear,” Charmaine said. “We also don’t want to put in a lot of the same product so that the competition wouldn’t be too much.”
From opening the store more than a month ago, Charmaine and Ruby realized that people are actually appreciative of locally made products.
“With a lot of multi-branded stores in Cebu, we really wanted to be different. At the same time, we really believe in our brands’ products, so it’s such a loss if they are not showcased,” Charmaine said.
“Now we have a home where local products can be displayed and appreciated,” Ruby added.
Charmaine also stressed that they actually push their customers to get in contact with the brands on display at Urban Lifestyle. This gets the brand more exposure and a chance to cater to the pre-order, made-to-order and bulk order markets.
“We promote each product of each brand. We promote the brands and products more actually than the store because they’re what make up the store. It’s pointless that we keep on promoting the store but people won’t know what’s in it. So we really market the products,” Charmaine said.
What’s even more interesting is how these local brands have innovated and elevated the traditional Filipino products to more contemporary products that appeal to the younger crowd. An example of this is Raffabac Designs, where they incorporate weaved fabrics to their cool and sleek backpack designs.
Urban Lifestyle has become a home where the innovation and creativity of the Filipino is in such abundance that one can be easily captivated. Visit them on the second floor of Axis Entertainment Avenue, Escario St., Cebu City.