SM's Savemore rolls out smaller store format
Savemore, a grocery chain owned by SM Retail through SM Markets, has branched out to a new format called Savemore Express as it applies valuable lessons learned about how new local community needs will continue on even after the pandemic.
While a regular Savemore store typically covers 1,500 to 2,500 square meters in floor area, the new format’s smaller size makes it more versatile in delivering basic essentials to customers.
To date, there are nine Savemore Express stores mostly located in commercial areas in Albay, Valenzuela, and Bulacan.
“Similar to how our other formats came to be, we are always finding ways to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers,” Savemore Market President Genevieve Manalad said.
She noted that, “This has been more so during the pandemic, with the heightened need for safety and practicality and as people relied on local neighborhood stores for their food and other essentials.”
“We assume that these habits will remain even beyond the pandemic and Savemore Express was conceived to support this emerging shopping trend,” Manalad added.
During the long lockdowns, neighborhood food stores have served as the essential destination for people with restricted mobility. Moreover, home cooking has become the practical choice over eating out as people have spent more time indoors.
The new Savemore Express addresses this shift by providing the weekly grocery needs of communities and offering an expanded line of fresh merchandise.
This includes commonly used produce as well as frozen meat, poultry as well as a selection of prepared or ready-to-cook products from bestselling local brands as support for MSMEs affected during the pandemic.
Completing the new format’s assortment are basic and essential food, personal care, and household products.
Manalad said Savemore will open eight more Savemore Express stores to cater to more communities in 2022.
As of the first nine months, SM Markets (umbrella brand for SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket and Savemore) and its sister company, Alfamart, has over 1,500 stores; 206 Savemore stores, 9 Savemore Express stores, 60 SM Supermarket stores, 53 SM Hypermarket stores and 1,201 Alfamarts.