My Cebu : Shopping Destination

Cebuanos are one of the luckiest people in the Philippines. Even as early as in the 80’s, we were already exposed to the what we call modern retailing. Growing up we were already into the supermarket and department store set-up. Well-known in the 80’s were GAW, White Gold, Gaisano Main, Gazini Plaza, Fairmart, Rustan’s and Rosita’s to name a few. We already had those computer-generated instant win promos in Gaisano during the Christmas season that drove my dad crazy – he would buy and buy just so he can play the game! Colon St. (oldest street in Cebu and possibly in the Philippines), housed most of the dept stores and big supermarkets in the city. If one wanted the local market type, we had Carbon Public Market and next to it is Freedom Park where one can buy flowers and plants. My lola used to have a stall there selling flowers and angel wings during Flores de Mayo. For the dried fish and seafood that Cebu is known for (danggit, pusit, bolinao), we have the Tabo-an Market.

In the mid 1990’s SM and Ayala came into Cebu to set up their malls. SM City structure was box-type and attracted quite a wide-spectrum of people. On the other hand, the Ayala mall with its circular set-up and more Mediterranean architecture, attracted the more affluent groups in Cebu. The set-up of these malls changed the way Cebuanos shop. We were used to the one-stop shopping concept already brought about by the smkt w/ dept store set-up but the mall concept where different stores where housed in one air-conditioned structure was new and allowed people to meet up and get-together! The mall allowed for Manila stores to be introduced into the local retailing scene and allowed the local ones to set-up shop as well.

Now, Cebu boasts of not just the big malls of SM City and Ayala, but mini-malls as well set-up by the locals like the BTC Mall in Banilad, the JY Square Mall in Lahug (its now expanded, a far cry from the mall we used to go to when we were in High School at UP), the Elizabeth Mall near UC Main downtown area, the Robinsons Place Cebu Mall at the Fuente Osmena has been rehabilitated as well, the Gaisano Festival Mall in Tabunok to name a few that mainly cater to the immediate neighbourhoods’ malling and shopping needs. With the rise of malling in Cebu, it brought with it as well a new change in Cebu, its dining and eating out. Check my next write-up on this changing habit.

BTW, check out my older posts to read about SM North Wing Shopping in Cebu, this is truly an example of how “malling” has become a habit of the pure-bred Cebuano!

Mrs. Jane B.