SM Supermarket Invitation
I was surprised when I got the SM Supermarket Megamall-A grand opening invitation a few days ago.
SM Supermarket in Megamall A first opened last year replacing the huge Powerbooks store, but closed down for reasons I was not aware of…until yesterday, May 26, when it re-opened. I came to know that they temporarily closed for renovation to make it bigger and better. Now with a floor area of 4,900 square meters, it’s now as wide and long as our neighborhood street (lol).
SM Supermarket Megamall A Opened May 26
Although public access was slated at 4pm, some suppliers, partners, media, and guests were able to take a first look at the store as early as 11am preceded by a 10am mass.
The program started with the traditional ribbon cutting and coin-toss by SM and SM Supermarket executives.
Upon entry, all the guests immediately spread around like new homeowners eagerly surveying a household. I did the same checking out the different products and brands on shelf.
Isabel Daza with SM Executives
SM executives, and celebrity guests including Gloria Diaz’s daughter – Isabel Daza – went straight to the Fresh Seafood section.
Cashiers & Crews Getting Ready
Believe it or not, there was a few years not too long ago, when I took care of our household monthly grocery and SM Megamall and SM North Edsa were my two favorite grocery spots for its wide variety of products and options available. Here are some shots of our well-loved products and brands I found in my quick tour:
Cheeses and Fresh Fruits
SM Value Packs with FREE SM Bonus item and Procter & Gamble’s Pampers
Oishi Snacks and Tang Powdered Juice
Magnolia Ice Cream in SM Supermarket (they gave away Pinipig Crunch sweet corn flavor)
Fresh Meats
Cold Cuts and the new Century Tuna Hotdog
Bounty Fresh (right) and canned goods such as Hunt’s (left)
Unilab medicines conveniently located inside the grocery
And there’s also Watsons (left photo) !
Home of Your Favorite Brands
Here are photos of some SM executives, guests, partners, and suppliers in the celebration :
Ms. Annie Garcia (2nd from right) – SM Supermalls President; Ms. Mitch So (in red dress)
(Left photo) Chef Tristan who did a cooking demo. (Right photo) From left: Ms. Ana May Jamet; Ms. Christy Schneck, SM Advantage-Marketing Convergence, Inc.; Mr. Hendrik Sy; Ms. Isabel Daza.
Center: Ms. Millie Dizon (VP for Marketing-SM Retail); Left: Ms. Leah Lee – AVP Fresh Merchandising – SM Supermarket; Ms. Louie Roque, VP Marketing – SM Supermarket.
SM Officers and Partners with Mr. Herbert T. Sy, president of SM Food Group (third from right).
So Why another SM Supermarket in Addition to the one in Megamall B?
I had the same question which the brand manager readily answered: “Ortigas is a good market and we saw the opportunity to serve more people in the area.”
SM Supermarket Team ( + Ms. Leia Lee – not in photo)
Being a regular customer in Megamall B, I would estimate the place to be almost of the same size. Almost all that can be found from Megamall B can also be found here. I observed however that SM Supermarket Megamall A has a prominent positioning for fresh products which are located at the central isle including fruits, salads, and vegetables.
SM Supermarket Megamall A presents a new gourmet concept offering a wide selection of fresh gourmet products and deli such as cheese, sausages. mushrooms, greens, and wine. This is in addition to the usual fruits, vegetables , and steaks we regularly find in groceries and supermarkets. So I guess its a ‘fresh‘ haven for the health buffs, deli lovers, and chefs / cooks who are always on a sprawl for hard- to-find recipe ingredients.
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Some interesting sections of SM Megamall A grocery include:
SM Supermarket International Products
Giant Shopping Cart with Unilever’s Clear Shampoo (I think this was in preparation for Piolo Pascual’s arrival 4pm that day)
Giant Fish Catch (Tanigue Steak P440/kg)
A New Cleaner Look for SM Supermarket Food Stalls
Maki and Sushi Section (Mariano Cua on left, owner of Cold Storage Seafood)
Appliance Section in SM Supermarket (Hypermarket, is that you?) 🙂
There’s also a Lotto outlet beside the Package Counter. 🙂 I also chanced upon for the first time on a mist supply system set up for the vegetables.
Mist for Vegetables (Do you see the blurry lights? It’s not smoke, it’s mist being sprayed from atop)
Proximity For All: Three Entrances
As mentioned above, the new supermarket space was extended further. It now spans up to the old spot of Toy Kingdom in front of Gonuts Donuts. This is also its main entrance which serves the customers coming from the Ortigas-Pasig business district side. Having worked along ADB Avenue in the early 2000s, I know that this is a great convenience. One does not have to cross Julia Vargas Rd and walk all the way to SM Supermarket at the other end of Megamall B.
Main Entrance (Old Toy Kingdom Entrance fronting Gonuts Donuts)
The second entrance is from the old Powerbooks store beside Yoshinoya. This serves in-mall customer access into the supermarket.
Mall Entrance (Yoshinoya-Powerbooks)
The third entrance would be from outside of the mall – Edsa. This is another convenience, this time for those coming from the MRT train system.
From MRT Side Entrance
Looking around further, I just hoped there would be more CR (comfort rooms/toilet) in their future developments as I only found one unisex comfort room (at the opposite end, far from the Powerbooks-Yoshinoya entrance). Alternative CRs would be the one on the second floor right above Yoshinoya or at the lower ground floor inside the bowling station,
SM Mini Cupcakes 🙂
In my personal view, the Megamall A corner has a good business vantage point for SM Supermarket specially for the after-office working class who’s on their way home from the Ortigas business center going to the MRT. Moreover, a transport terminal connecting various Metro Manila cities is located right behind Building A as well.