Power Plant MallTHE feeling envelops you as soon as you enter: the scent of pine gently caresses your nostrils and the slightly nippy temperature makes you wrap your light jacket around yourself just a little tighter.

As you venture inside, your eyes light up and your heart skips a bit at the enchanting sight that greets you. Planters of lush fresh poinsettias are ranged along the corridors; here and there, Christmas trees and snowmen nod a greeting. As carols tinkle softly in the background, you look up to see red and green orbs and pale gold fairy lights hugging strings upon strings of verdant garlands. Meanwhile, at the taxi stand, mall personnel hand out candy canes to the people in the queue. All these bespeak only one thing— it’s Christmas at Power Plant Mall! For the Power Plant Mall team led by vice president/general manager Malou Pineda, Christmas comes in June or July.

By then, they are already immersed in reds and greens, things shiny and sparkly, and all the other accoutrements of this most joyous of seasons even as most of us are preoccupied with shopping for an umbrella for the rainy months. They conduct research, bounce ideas off each other, play around with forms and shapes, do mockups, prepare a budget and place their orders. By October, the décor arrive and is assembled not just for the mall but for the whole of Rockwell Center.

“The theme is worked on by a group that includes our boss, Mr. [Nestor] Padilla, designer Jaime Santiago and senior manager for retail operations Belen Nones,” says Rockwell Land assistant vice president Jacko Zialcita.

“We had hanging Christmas trees once upon a time; we’ve had climbing Santas on our columns.” “There was a Christmas that we did toys, but now it’s basically very traditional, very classic. Actually, every year it’s traditional since that’s also the image of the mall,” Pineda adds. Aside from the big bosses, the engineering, operations and maintenance staff also worked their magic, putting together the ideas and concept of the team. “Whatever is in the mall is done in-house by our people, from the lights to the Christmas trees to the décor,” shares Nones.

Power Plant MallTraditions
According to Pineda, Power Plant hews to tradition because shoppers see it as a family mall where they also come to be entertained, to relax and watch a movie with their kids.

“They like it because they feel safe and secure and because it feels like home,” the VP observes. “And when you say ‘home,’ there are certain traditions you expect that we do year on year. There’s just a change in the content, for example the performers in our musical programs.”

Thus, for the past several years, the Power Plant’s Christmas has been known for a handful of mainstays on which the celebration of the season is anchored. It’s a Power Plant Christmas the way loyal shoppers, clients and habitués know and love it.

Topping the list of the mall’s staple offerings is the Christmas Raffle. From November 30, 2010 to January 30, 2011, shoppers who make a P2,000 single-receipt purchase in any Power Plant Mall store or a P3,000 receipt from Rustan’s Supermarket will be entitled to one raffle coupon. On the grand draw on January 31, 2011, one lucky mall patron will drive off in a brand-new Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 CDI compact crossover SUV.

For foodies and those on a quest for edible presents, the upcoming editions of Baker’s Dozen on all weekends of December will gather 17 of the best non-commercialized, home-based virtuosos of batter at the Concourse Level of the mall. Now on its fourth year, Baker’s Dozen is “one of the best venues to get Christmas treats and gifts for corporate giveaways, such as the best cheesecake or the best ensaimada,” affirms marketing associate Paolo Soriano.

The Moonlit Bazaar at the Rockwell Tent on December 10-12 and December 17-19 opens up an alternative—or extension—for those who want to take their shopping experience literally a step further. Night owls will relish the escape from the diurnal crowds and filling up their Christmas list until midnight, long after the mall has closed.

“Most items in the bazaar are things you can’t find in the mall as some of the sellers are homegrown entrepreneurs who come up with their little things. So for variety, there’s shopping in the mall and there’s shopping in the bazaar, and this only happens on weekends,” Pineda notes.

Shoppers who want to lessen their stress levels by leaving their cars at home will also be pleased to know that the mall has beefed up its fleet of shuttles. “The Christmas season is going to be crazy for sure so we want to cut down the waiting time for the taxi,” adds Pineda.

Power Plant Mall2011
As Power Plant Mall struts its stuff in its final salvo for 2010, the team can pat itself on its collective back for a year that—thanks to their dedication and attention to detail—exceeded even their expectations.

“We pride ourselves on being that mall that gives the customer elevated experience,” Jacinto avers. “We’re constantly checking on busted bulbs, chipped tiles—every little detail you could think of. Every single day, there are people roving and monitoring and if there’s anything out of place, it’s immediately rectified.”

“This year was very good in terms of sales, revenue and traffic, more than we’ve expected. So we’re quite happy, and we’re hoping to end 2010 exceeding our targets. So far, it looks like we are,” sums up Pineda. “We’re hoping that whatever good numbers and good reception we got this year, we’ll be able to sustain or even improve next year.” In fact, the VP reports, the mall is 100% occupied for the first time since it opened its doors 10 years ago. This December, a handful of new exciting stores will be opening in time for the full-on Christmas rush, including the country’s biggest Muji outlet at 600 sq.m., Rolex, Payless Shoe Source, Digital Zoom, the mall’s first all-camera store, and Barcino.

“This was the year that we actually stopped leasing. There’s a tenant in almost every nook and cranny, so that’s the big challenge for us, we’ve run out of space,” Pineda reveals.

For Manila’s shopaholics, Pineda promises more exciting changes especially in the first and second quarters of 2011. “There are a lot of exciting concepts that’s coming to the country, exciting concepts still lined up wanting to come into the mall,” she stresses.

In the meantime, the VP and her team want to more Lopez Group employees and their families to enjoy the Power Plant Mall shopping experience, Christmas or not.

“You may be surprised because there’s just so much more you can expect compared to your first visit. Every time you come, expect to see something new and something exciting,” Pineda says.

“We have a lot of exciting events and programs for next year,” states Jacinto. “For the people who haven’t visited in a long time, they should definitely come and they’ll be pleasantly surprised because we have so many plans, so much in store for them. Soriano invites shoppers to discover for themselves what keeps the mall’s loyal patrons coming back. “Also, see what the Power Plant Christmas traditions are like,” he adds.

“You and your family will have a very pleasant Christmas experience in Power Plant. We will make sure of that,” Nones concludes.