Anko opens second store, launches membership app

THERE are many affordable everyday essentials, storage solutions, and decorations to be found at Anko, the Australia-based house brand under Kmart Australia Ltd., which specializes in home and lifestyle products.

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Last week, Anko opened a second branch in Alabang Town Center (ATC), Muntinlupa, six months after opening its first store at Glorietta 2 in Makati.

The May 8 launch saw guests browse through the store’s expansive kitchen and dinnerware selection, as well as its trendy items such as notebooks, pens, and other arts and crafts items. There were toys for kids and beauty and wellness products for moms — and most of the prices didn’t exceed three digits.

“It’s more laidback here in Alabang, so the products that we carry are more for that kind of market,” Paul Miranda, store manager for Anko in ATC, told BusinessWorld. “Glorietta is a hub for working commuters and Makati residents, so it’s a mixed market. Here, majority are families.”

Compared to the 1,200-square-meter Glorietta store, the ATC branch is smaller at 812 square meters. As for how it measures up to similar homeware competitors, Mr. Miranda pointed out that Anko stores have “more spacious, presentable aisles” and “display items to accommodate the touchy-feely shopping style of Filipino consumers.”