All things great and Filipino

1 of 2

JOSEPH L. GARCIA

JOSEPH L. GARCIA

(that you can customize this month)

SPATIO, Robinsons Retail’s concept in its Opus mall, is positioning itself as the new place to get your artisanal Filipino hit. If you regret missing something at the big artisanal fairs in the country (for example, Habi, ArteFino, and MaArte), you’re bound to find them at Spatio, all year round.

This March though, they’re launching the Made For You campaign featuring Filipino brands that can offer customization services. These include charms and trinkets from Studio MG.88, Style Isle, and Casa Inez, and custom engraving in brooches and necklaces from Alchemista. Piesa introduces a jewelry making experience inspired by halo halo. Viajecito also invites guests to mix and match bags and straps, allowing shoppers to create combinations that match their own style. Stations include Vesti, where guests can customize their own bag, and Boop MNL, which offers scarves for dogs and cats that can be personalized with the names of the pets.

Chief among these brands is the limited time only customization services by Revibe Culture. The brand takes a clothing base, then adds upcycled touches from damaged designer goods. This is one of the latest brands to join Spatio’s permanent display (more on them in the sidebar).

Martin de Leon, deputy general manager for Spatio, told BusinessWorld what they look for in a local brand. “It depends on the category and the mix that we already have. If they can fill in a gap — of course, it’s a given that the branding has to be strong; the products that they carry have to meet a certain standard.”

According to him, they currently have 300 local brands in the store, a jump from 30 when they first opened in 2024. Of course, he says, they have international brands too (we saw some at their beauty selection on the third floor, but these share space with a large display of local beauty brands). “We deliberately placed them right beside each other,” he said. “I feel like the consumer behavior has really shifted. There’s really more support towards local brands. They see that the quality that we have to offer, and also in terms of design, is really at par with international brands,” he said.

“That’s pretty much the goal of Spatio. It’s to provide a home and opportunity for local brands to thrive, and also to promote their creativity — to promote the country, pretty much.”

The beauty and the problem of artisanal craft is that no two items are ever the same — it becomes a problem when one thinks of the consistency needed in commercial operations in mall stores such as Spatio. “I think a lot of the brands are already starting to experience the possible long-term volume that this platform can provide,” said Mr. De Leon. “They’re already incorporating planning in terms of their production and also capacity.”

Asked if Spatio’s Filipino-forward model can be replicated in other locations, he said, “Definitely, that’s something that’s in the works.”

“There’s definitely opportunity for that in the future,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of growth from this particular store.”

Mr. De Leon noted that the Spatio platform gives something more concrete to many young brands, as opposed to their usual strategy of going online, or appearing only in pop-ups. “There are a lot of brands who are already reaching out, because they want to be able to introduce their brands in a different format,” he said. “There’s really that opportunity for them to really engage and see the products up close,” he said about the customer.

“We want to grow the brands. We want to groom them, and we want to make sure that we can sustain the business,” he said. “Hopefully, the plans will push through in terms of possibly expanding the brands beyond just this location.”

Spatio is also offering exclusive in-store promotions throughout March. From March 13 to 31, shoppers using their BPI credit cards (Visa Signature, Amore Platinum Cashback, and Robinsons Cashback Card) with a minimum spend of P10,000 can receive a P1,000 Spatio gift certificate for their next lifestyle purchases. Guests can also enjoy a special offer with GoTyme Bank: shoppers who use their GoTyme Card with a minimum purchase of P3,000 will receive a free GoTyme umbrella or tote bag. Spatio also rolled out special rewards for Go Rewards members this past weekend. — Joseph L. Garcia