Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

written by Butch
stalked and photographed by Noemi

At the junction of Meralco and E. Rodriguez avenues in Pasig lies the Tiendesitas shopping center. Anchoring the whole area is the SM Hypermarket (Philippines Supermarket), one the latest permutations of the SM mall and retail empire. Taking a cue from the large U.S. suburban store chains, the “one-stop shop” concept has taken root in urban Manila.

There were others who caught on to this trend first, notably Shopwise, which has a presence in nearby Libis, Quezon City. But SM doesn’t have to be original to dominate the market. It takes a tried and tested idea and, through a combination of financial muscle and merchandising savvy, improves on it. Already the SM Hypermarket appears to have a lock on the affluent market comprised of the gated villages in its immediate vicinity.

A wide variety of goods is to be expected of any SM store, and the Hypermarket doesn’t disappoint. There are furniture from Malaysia and Thailand, imported and local shoes and garments, a flood of stuff from China. In short, every conceivable item anyone would want, and then some. Expectedly, SM aggressively pushes its house brands, like Bonus and Farm Fresh, which are usually priced lower than other brands.

a wide variety of fruits

The upside of shopping at SM Hypermarket: ample basement parking space (free if purchase at least P1,000), the level of service is generally high and there are interesting shops within the SM building, including a Books for Less outlet. The downside: the meat, poultry and dairy sections have less choices than other stores like Shopwise and Cash and Carry and it can get crowded on weekends.

park your cart while shopping for meat cuts

Coffee break

SM Hypermarket in house brand is called “Farm Fresh”

lots of fresh meat

ready mixed meat dishes like barbecue

Nice neon green shopping bags

Free parking coupon at the counter

Going to the car park

Loading the groceries

As always, the operative philosophy is “buyer beware”. There are some nice stuff but there are some shoddy goods as well. One has to be discerning to get value for money. And while SM used to be synonymous with cheap, this is not the case anymore. Some items are more expensive here than elsewhere. Overall, though, SM Hypermarket provides a pleasant shopping experience .

And the cost?!? Wow , we enjoyed it so much that we went off our usual weekly budget.

Be updated and interact with SM Hypermarket through their blog.

Technorati Tags: Philippines Supermarket, shopping, SM Hypermarket