Tutuban Center formally welcomed its new tenants after a contract signing held at Orion Hotel Manila. The shopping complex is going to be home to retailers from the food and fashion industries such as Mini Stop, Giligan’s Island Bar & Restaurant, Greenwich, Sisig Hooray!, Domino’s Pizza, The Look and Manjaru Slippers.
The signing of newly acquired tenants comes fresh on the heels of the opening of TC Shopping Plaza. The plaza is Tutuban Center’s newest arm that hosts a wide variety of products—from accessories, novelty items, apparels and food stalls.
These recent developments and tenant acquisition is part of the shopping district’s aggressive redevelopment and rebranding plans. Part of Tutuban Center’s efforts this year is to expand its target market and reach out to a wide range of tenants including traders.
Sylvia Tecson, vice president for Leasing and Marketing of Tutuban Center, explained: “Wholesale is very strong here in this area. A lot of entrepreneurs from provinces like Davao and Cebu, for example, go here just to buy their merchandise. We want to acknowledge that market this time.”
The rebranding also comes in time with the company’s celebration of its 25th year anniversary as a listed entity in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Now ready to move to the next stage, Tutuban Center is also opening its doors to a variety of tenants catering to different consumer markets.
Great consumer access
“One good thing about Tutuban is that it never sleeps. There is the day market, the TC Shopping Plaza, and the night market that is open 365 days a year. The place offers a lot of promise when it comes to consumer access, whether you are a convenience store open 24/7 or a family-friendly restaurant,” Tecson said.
For the rebranding, Tutuban aims to turn the shopping complex as a one-stop shop for every kind of shopper. The plan is to utilize the property’s huge area to cater to different segments of the market. The Centermall, for example, is being positioned as the lifestyle center, while soon to be developed buildings will be for the retailers and wholesalers.
The shopping complex is also known for having heavy foot traffic. The district is within convenient access to tenants and shoppers coming from Mayhaligue (Philippine National Railways riders), Recto (Metro Rail Transit and North commuters), Tondo, Tabora, and Ilaya.
Future developments
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has also pinpointed Tutuban Center to serve as the transfer station for the planned P171-billion North-South rail project. The west extension of Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT 2) in Recto will also be close to the vicinity of the shopping haven.
The projects, which are set to start very soon, will extend the LRT from Recto all the way to the Port of Manila. The North-South rail project, which will have Tutuban as its central station, on the other hand, will run all the way to Bulacan and Laguna.
The development of these routes will make the area more accessible to consumers. The additional impact of these transit lines is one that tenants are definitely looking forward in the area.
“Tutuban is really the first mall in Divisoria. A lot of competition has come ever since but with new tenants coming in and the rebranding plans, we are confident that Tutuban will still be top-of-mind as the place to be in Divisoria,”Tecson said.
She concluded, “We are set on sending one message: That the first is now getting better.”