IS THE PHILIPPINES THE NEXT SHOPPING DESTINATION IN ASIA?

With all the luxury and high-street brands coming to the Philippines, our sources say the country is turning into a Mecca for shoppers

- BAM ABELLON

In June 2022, at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, Louis Vuitton (LV) launched “The Exotics” caravan, an exclusive event featuring the brand’s new exotics skin line and service. The hand-picked guests were then encouraged to book an appointment with the house so they could personally co-design their own bespoke bag made from exotic skins and sundry finishes.

A premier event like this—that sounds like luxury at its most unbashed form—naturally attracts attention from the fashion devotees in the country, but there’s a global allure that’s worth noting: the Philippines was only the second country in the entire Southeast Asian region to have been given this experience.

What’s more interesting to bear in mind is that exclusive occasions like this have been happening around us more frequently in the recent years—notwithstanding the ongoing pandemic. With the sprightly inflation, one that we have not seen in a long time, and the recent health crisis, why is Philippines becoming the next shopping destination in the region?

Prestigious fashion designer Rajo Laurel could enumerate a few factors that have been adding fuel to this burning trend. Population is one of those factors. The Philippine population is projected to reach more than 110 million by 2022, according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom.gov.ph). “Even one percent of that is worthy of an interest from these luxury corporations,” Laurel says.