Thursday, January 03, 2008 New lifestyle shop opens at SM
FORESEEING further growth in Cebu’s middle- and high-end markets, a local entrepreneur opened another lifestyle shop.
Melanie Ng launched last Dec. 21 Sandee, a lifestyle store that offers “unique” and imported home furnishings.
The 80-square meter store, located at SM City Cebu Northwing, involved a P2-million investment, Ng said.
“We hope to add to the growing lifestyle industry in Cebu,” Ng said in an interview, adding that many Cebuanos nowadays have a growing penchant for investing in unique items for their homes.
She said Sandee is a spin-off of Premium Concepts, another lifestyle store she founded.
While Premium Concepts has become a lifestyle shop, it is positioned to be a gift shop, she said.
Sandee, on the other hand, is a lifestyle establishment designed to “look like a real home.”
Premium Concepts, which was founded 11 years ago, has branches in Ayala Center Cebu, Banilad Town Centre, SM City Cebu and AsiaTown IT Park. It also has outlets in Davao City.
Ng said she had tried carrying the Sandee brand in Premium Concept branches, but decided to stop doing so to avoid confusion among buyers.
To make sure that her home furnishing items are unique, Ng travels to India, Vietnam, Bangkok and Europe to shop for the store.
She also participates in international shows three times a year to source out new items.
Ng said the booming retail industry in Cebu is characterized by consumers’ preference for “one-of-a-kind, good quality” items, which has also encouraged more creativity and innovativeness among local entrepreneurs.
She said consumers have now become “wiser” in their buying preferences, choosing only items that are affordable and of good quality.
Retailers, on the other hand, have developed “young and fresh” entrepreneurial concepts that cater to the changing preferences of the purchasing public. (MMM)
