At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, there were a lot of worries about getting daily necessities, most importantly, for food supplies. Nearly two years into the pandemic, the situation has much improved. In fact, in some location, there may even be an over supply of grocery shops.
Three big grocery shops have opened just in the last quarter of 2021.
Landers, Uptown, Bonifacio North
Landers Superstore is a timely addition to the grocery market in North Bonifacio, where population is growing fast while it was previously served only by one supermarket, Marketplace at Uptown Mall.
The superstore has other food and beverage outlets outside the supermarket area, such as a coffee stall. Non members can buy coffee drinks there.
Landers Uptown is located at the ground floor of a residential condominium cluster, called Uptown Ritz.
Additional food and beverage facilities, like food stalls and restaurants, are being furnished.
It has very nice toilets, even though currently they are only 90% completed.
Coop-Fresh
Ground floor, Shangri-la at the Fort Hotel, Rizal Drive, Fort Bonifacio
Indeed times have changed. A grocery store is occupying prime retail space at the shopping mall of a five-star hotel!
It has been opened for about a month, but it is still in dry run mode. You need to download their app in order to buy their produce.
While the mode of payment is unique, because of the app requirement, most of the produce that they sell are regular grocery items, like fruits and vegetables. But they do advertise a milk bar. Maybe the milk that they sell is unique?
Currently, Coop-Fresh opens from 12 noon to 8pm daily.
Landmark Supermarket
30th Street near 5th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio
This supermarket opened last November, and operates from 8:30AM to 8:30PM.
The main attraction of Landmark supermarket is its wide selection of fruits and vegetables, or maybe just the way that these produce are displayed.
The supermarket is housed in a multi-level parking facility. It shares a single elevator with the parking lot clients.
Since November, Landmark has opened its department store on the second floor, selling household goods like plates and bowls, as well as home decors like plastic flowers.
Supermarkets in BGC
Before the pandemic, there were four supermarkets in BGC, one at each mall, namely: MarketMarket! mall, SM Aura Premier Mall, Uptown Mall, Central Square, and 8 Forbestown mall. In addition, there was one membership shopping club, S&R, located next to St. Luke’s Medical Center.
From our own shopping experience, we have some observations about these supermarkets. Three of them belong to the same supermarket chain, namely Marketplace owned by the Robinson’s group at 8 Forbestown, Central Plaza and Uptown Mall, but the supermarket at 8 Forbestown still offers some items that are different from the other two Marketplace supermarkets because it was owned under a different brand before. On the other hand, they have the same loyalty card, so it is easier to accumulate points from these supermarkets, which can be monetized at these supermarkets.
For meat and seafood, the price at SM Aura’s supermarket seems to be the most attractive amongst all the supermarkets in BGC. Marketplace supermarkets, on the other hand, offers some deals once in a while that can be enticing.
We have not shopped at Landers yet, but we would like to compare the two membership clubs in BGC soon. For now, one can say that Landers has a more upmarket look, and better dining area. Check back for the update!
