Category: General

Rustan’s Supercenters (RSI) is staging a three-day festival, A World of Wine, to mark the transformation of its supermarket at Shangri-La Plaza into the Shang Marketplace.

RSI marketing assistant VP Ana Punongbayan says the revamped concept has more new offerings for customers to explore and experience as a brand shop with exclusive “non-mainstream” products.

Different design elements give the store a whole new ambiance. “Rustan’s Supermarket is very masculine, using mainly black, while Marketplace is more feminine with softer design elements,” says Punongbayan.
Brighter and bigger, the new store has wider aisles, the latest in showcases and refrigeration with less carbon emissions, and energy-efficient LED lighting.

Many Marketplace amenities are based on customer feedback, including the brand shop.

Aside from its wine selection, Shang Marketplace has a cheese section and an improved ready-to-eat unit.

Other Rustan’s supermarkets may undergo the same transformation depending on the primary market, says Punongbayan.

CEO Irwin Lee says shoppers will find “the world is at Marketplace” as the store carries brands and products from around the world.

Gourmet fare

The store’s international gourmet offerings are curated and categorised for convenience – Breakfast World, Cooking World, Fresh World, Ready-to-Eat, World of Cheese and Deli, World of Indulgence and Snacks, and daily baked items from Lartizan.

With its expansion, the Wine and Spirits World offers rare, top-tier selections. Australian ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely says Rustan’s carried about half of her country’s wine labels.

Marketplace by Rustan’s has exclusive partnerships with British supermarket chain Waitrose and French retailer Casino, as well as exclusive brand offerings like Stash, Stonewall Kitchen and Wild Harvest. The store has also brought in a wider range of paper, personal and cleaning products from Seventh Generation, which pioneers plant-based products.

Marketplace also has its own Supergoods line – products from local social enterprises such as Human Heart Nature – as well as organic produce from Holy Carabao, snacks from Pili & Pino, Sabanana and The Cracking Monkey, chocolates from Coco Dolce and Theo & Philo, and refreshments from Bayani Brew, Hope in a Bottle and Wellness Water.

Supermarket giant Countdown will remove single-use plastic bags from its stores and e-commerce operations by the end of 2018.

The move – which means 350 million shopping bags will be taken out of the system – has been welcomed by industry associations.

In its press announcement today, Countdown’s managing director Dave Chambers said 83 percent of its customers support the plan.

“We are now calling on the new government to step in and regulate to completely stamp out single use plastic bags,” he said.

“Regulatory action gives the best outcome for our oceans and sea life, and will mean a universal approach that is fair for all retailers.”

Retail NZ says it’s great news that Countdown is moving to phase out plastic bags and congratulates all retailers that have taken steps to reduce the number of plastic bags being issued.

“There is increasing customer demand for action by retailers on plastic bags, and we have also seen New World recently launch bagvote.co.nz to ask its customers whether or not it should introduce a charge on bags” said Greg Harford, Retail NZ’s general manager for public affairs.

“A number of other retailers have also taken action, and we think this will increase over time.

“Ultimately, retailers will be led by their customers.  Customers have traditionally expected a bag when they go shopping, but there seems to have been a change in public opinion, and retailers are responding to that.”

Harford added that many businesses in the retail sector are attempting to reduce their environmental impacts and government leadership through regulation is still required to “ensure that there is a clear, consistent and universal approach” across the sector.

“Industry action should not be seen as an excuse by government to dodge its responsibilities, however,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s important that any solution regarding plastic bags is universal, and applies to all retailers.”

Countdown’s bag ban was also praised by Greenpeace, who said the move “makes them leader of the pack on plastic reduction”.

“They’ve realised how strongly the New Zealand public sees these bags as pure environmental craziness,” said Greenpeace campaigner Elena Di Palma. “Better than that, they’ve done something about it.”

“We’d like to see Foodstuffs and New World, who are considering a 5 or 10 cent charge on bags, to match Countdown’s boldness and eliminate this marine menace”

Auckland mayor Phil Goff said if other businesses made efforts to reduce plastic bag use and the government introduces a levy on plastic bags, “that around 500 to 600 million plastic bags” a year could be cut out in Auckland alone.

“Charging or banning plastic bags cannot be introduced through a council bylaw and I will continue to work with MPs to promote a change through a local bill in parliament,” he said.