Rustan’s celebrates 70 years with so much going on and so much more to come

Shop this season at Rustan’s to celebrate its 70th anniversary! For 70 years, Christmas has always been made extraordinary with Rustan’s extraordinary gifting. This holiday, it has partnered with many brands to mount exciting promotions of exclusive and special offers, entertainment, and activities for loyal customers.

What it has in store or online, particularly from the home and men’s departments, are brands to die for, whether already launched or waiting to open their doors in time for the holiday rush. Look forward to find gifts made for you or the recipients on your Christmas list, such as local clean beauty brand For Keeps and home appliances brands like SMEG, Everdure, Materbuilt, and Ooni.  

For men’s fashion, style savants have a variety to choose from—Faherty, Tailor Vintage, Hiroshi Kato, Satorisan, Hari Mari, 2(X)ist, and American Trench. Also soon to launch is Il Bisonte, an Italian brand of high-quality leather bags and accessories.

Rustan’s Beauty Addicts are in for a treat with Foamie, the just-opened bath and body brand at Rustan’s Makati, as well as a traditional perfumery made in France, Bon Parfumeur. In time for the launch of its beauty hall, such trusted, covetable brands as Shiseido, L:a Bruket, Grown Alchemist, and Saturday Skin will soon open.

What else can shoppers expect? As it celebrates its platinum, Rustan’s is already thinking several decades ahead with exciting developments. Among the initial plans, aside from the beauty hall, are new courtyard windows, a new store entrance with LED screens, and the massive renovation of the Makati store.

“Seventy years ago, my grandparents had a simple vision of bringing the best of the world to Filipinos,” says Donnie Tantoco, president of Rustan Commercial Corporation.

Rustan’s, indeed, started small but with a big purpose, which was to provide an easy, accessible link between the Filipinos and the best of the best, such as the finest brands, the most desirable products, the most exquisite objects Donnie's grandparents, the founders Benny and Glecy Tantoco, could find in their travels. As a result, in time, and with every extraordinary milestone and every groundbreaking innovation, Rustan’s has become one of the most trusted department stores and innovators in retail.

‘Seventy years ago, my grandparents had a simple vision of bringing the best of the world to Filipinos.’

Benny and Glecy saw the opportunity in their vision to fill the aspirational needs of Philippine society.

The vision behind the department store is now its legacy, every square of inch becoming a treasure trove of curated selections. Acca Kappa from Italy, Cle de P’eau from France, Yuzu Sleeping Mask from Japan, Royal Doulton from England, Lacoste from the US, just say the word. Better yet, go to Rustan’s for its many offers, its mesmerizing showcases, and its strong partnerships with world-worthy brands like Dior, Charriol, and Cartier. Decades before others, the department store became the first exclusive distributors of these premier brands in the country.

With enterprising vision, the Tantoco founders started out by carefully curating the finest finds from their trips and adventures around the world. To many of their customers, the sight of what they brought home from their journeys to dream destinations like Morocco, France, Italy, Spain, and more was a never-before experience. From then on, over these many, many years, more and more brands have been introduced. Rustan’s now proudly holds licenses to more than 2,000 international brands.

These achievements catapulted the shopping economy, but Rustan’s kept going, investing in unique initiatives such as visual merchandising, gift registry for special occasions like weddings and birthdays, and many more to elevate the shopping experience.

It also expanded its digital footprint in 2019, launching Rustans.com. An intuitive e-commerce site that makes shopping even more convenient, it offers personal shopping services, free delivery nationwide, gift wrapping services, and other perks.

The following year, as the pandemic sent us all cocooning, Rustan’s introduced the Personal Shopper on Call service to allow customers to shop from home. 

During the pandemic, the gift registry evolved to let customers create their own wish list more conveniently in the comfort of their home. Friends and family could also purchase the gifts anywhere, anytime with just a few taps on the screen. Despite the digitized feature, however, wedding registries remained authentically personal, thanks to a team of dedicated consultants, who respond, assist, and manage registries in real time.

The digital age has heightened customer expectations. Demands for quality, speed, and stellar communication are increasing, prompting Rustan’s to make necessary pivots to improve the agility of its teams. Innovations ensure consistency and convenience while maintaining value and fair pricing.

Anticipating the shopping surge, Rustan’s makes the season extra rewarding with its customer loyalty FSP app—short for “Frequent Shopper Program.” The ber-months are stacked with special offers from shopping, travel, shows, stays, and dining so patrons can always look forward to exciting perks and benefits at every visit, whether online or in-store.

“Today, we count ourselves lucky and grateful to be of service to millions of Filipinos across several generations,” says Donnie.