Rockwell going big on retail—beyond Metro Manila

If, in a time-capsule future, one is asked to classify the Rockwell Power Plant under one word in Philippine lifestyle glossary, one would be hard put. 

That’s because it isn’t exactly just a mall; you go there not only to shop, eat, or watch movies. You go there—weekly or even daily—to do your stuff you could normally do at home or in the office. You bring your laptop to a donut place to do your work (guilty!). You take over one corner of a wine shop to conduct your meeting (guilty!). Or you just appropriate a spot at the Food Court to people-watch as you listen to the pianist play (or acoustics performer, all kinds of musicians are taking turns these days), like top writer Jessica Zafra, or the late book author Nelson Navarro did with no fail. 

The Power Plant at Rockwell is no mere comfort zone, it is a cocoon—a personal shelter— that developed organically the past 25 years. You don’t get lost in its straight horizontal layout (no need for artificial intelligence here), and you don’t get crushed in the crowd. It’s a non-mall mall, in short.

As Power Plant celebrates its 25th year, there’s no better time than now for Rockwell Land to roll out its retail development projects beyond Rockwell Center in Makati, on to the regions. The pioneer and game-changer in mixed-use developmemt, Rockwell is going big on retail hereon. The success of the Proscenium Retail Row—with the highly anticipated opening of the state-of-the-art Proscenium Theater this year—augurs well for Rockwell retail development in the encompassing scheme of property development. 

It’s the latest proof that Rockwell is a community—the brand that sets the standards for 21st century living in the Philippines.

“The Power Plant Mall now on its 25th year, we’re now building the second Power Plant Mall in Angeles, Pampanga,” Rockwell vice president for Retail Development Tin Coqueiro told TheDiarist.ph in an exclusive recent interview.

“We’re planning another retail in Cebu. We’re also expanding in Bacolod and soon in Batangas. So, retail is no longer just within Manila. It’s actually wherever there are Rockwell developments in the provincial areas, retail also goes there.

“This is the first time Rockwell is expanding retail at this accelerated level.”

Coqueiro explained the vision: “I think when we think of Rockwell Center, we think of it as a one nice story where they—the structures, features and experiences—all complement each other, from Power Plant Mall to our locators. We want our community to be able to explore each of the buildings, aside from the mall, and that they’d see something different or experience something different.”

The second Power Plant mall, this time in Nepo, Angeles in Pampanga, will be in a “mini Rockwell Center,” with residential buildings and Power Plant Mall as anchor. 

“The development is slightly smaller,” Coqueiro said, “around five hectares. So we’ll have three residential buildings. Two are already launched and under construction. Our Power Plant (to open in 2027) will be slightly smaller, probably about two-thirds the size of Power Plant in Makati. But in terms of feel, design, and mix, it will be more or less the same as Makati.” 

This means it will be easy to navigate. “I think one of the things that made Power Plant successful is the layout is very straightforward. We don’t have a lot of hidden corridors, so that’s going to be applied as well in Nepo.”

Rockwell Land has the thriving Pampanga—and Central Luzon—market to look forward to.

“Definitely the core will be the Nepo, Pampanga market,” Coqueiro said. “But we think we’ll be able to tap also farther north, like Tarlac, because I think what will be a bit different for this mall is the content, the brands that we will be bringing in. You will see a lot of Manila-based premium brands opening there, I guess, curated compared to the surrounding malls.”

In Cebu, there is the IPI Center Done Rockwell, a 2.8-hectare mixed-use development along Pope John Paul II Avenue, a collaboration between Rockwell Land and International Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI) that will integrate the residential, the office spaces and the commercial. It will undoubtedly set the quality of 21st century urban living in Cebu by 2029. 

It will have a three-level retail hub for shopping, dining, wellness and such.

Again, the retail development is used to wrap up the experience of Rockwell community living.

Coqueiro explained, “What will be different there would be the design of the retail center itself. It’s not going to look like a Power Plant mall. We’re going to execute a totally new design that we haven’t done yet. It’s meant to have that indoor-outdoor feeling, meaning some parts of the retail center will embrace the outdoor landscaping, al fresco dining, but we will still have the air-conditioned areas to showcase specialty shops, services.”

Asked why Rockwell Land decided to make IPI Cebu different, Coqueiro shared an insight: “We noticed that the Cebu market is also a bit different in their retail preference; they seem to prefer strips to malls. So we’d like to be able to offer them that feeling that they’re not really inside the box but still give them something better than what’s available there as far as strips are concerned. So, this is a bit bigger. It will be in between all the strips in Cebu and the big, large format malls. Bigger than the strips, but a lot smaller than all the large malls.”

Just opened in Bacolod are the Nara Pavilions—dining places set amid the residential lots. “We opened several restaurants in Nara Bacolod,” said Coqueiro. “We have the UCC group there. We have some of the local Bacolod-based concepts. We will open two more in Nara. Then we will start working on Rockwell Center Bacolod which will be like Rockwell Center Makati, except that it will have lots compared to Makati, where it’s all high-rises. At Rockwell Center Bacolod, the residential lots are actually selling well. We have commercial buildings as well, office buildings.”

The Nara Pavilions is the retail destination at Nara Residences, Rockwell Land’s high-end residential development in Bacolod City, on an 11-hectare property along GM Cordova Avenue. It is a seamless blend of premium residential buildings and spacious lots. 

The first phase of Nara Residences was launched in 2019, and the turnover is under way.

Nara Residences is within the larger Rockwell Center Bacolod, a 32-hectare mixed-use development.

Rockwell will also develop retail in its 63-hectare mixed-use development in Lipa City, Batangas, its joint venture with General Milling Corporation. 

A new metropolis will take shape in the south, now accessible (Skyway and SLEX), with the development of Rockwell Center Lipa, a 63-hectare mixed-use development, 2 hectares of them planned for retail to give the community the experience of shopping, dining, entertainment, wellness.

‘I guess it’s that sense of community, sense of home we’re able to inject in retail, it’s not just a box where it’s very transactional….’ 

All these ventures prove that retail development is growing stronger in the Rockwell DNA. And all that thanks to the dynamic growth of Rockwell Center Makati, particularly the Power Plant, and recently, the Proscenium Retail Row, both of which are providing a template—evolving, not static— for Rockwell Land throughout the country.

“It’s further ingrained in the Rockwell DNA, wherever there’s Rockwell developments, there’s retail,” stressed Coqueiro. “I guess it’s that sense of community, sense of home we’re able to inject in retail, it’s not just a box where it’s very transactional; rather it’s part of the overall mixed-use development. 

“Naturally, we are able to cater to the community and they feel that retail is like their second home. It’s very common that when they go to our retail centers they’ll bump into someone they know because they live here or they work here. So that gives it that sense of community. Then also the team of Elise (Lim, assistant marketing manager for Creatives and Events) puts together events, other efforts, to bring the community together. Other malls would not have the community that Rockwell usually has.”

Simply put, you’re bound to bump into someone you know at Rockwell, 90% chance, in fact, whether it’s in the food court, or in the stores. Like we said, it becomes your extended living room. And Rockwell hopes to replicate this homey familiar experience in the regions, even as it is doing it a stone’s throw away at the Proscenium, or even in the nearby Edades.

‘We are excited with some openings happening around the mall. One is the chef-driven restaurant at Edades….’

“For our flagship here at Rockwell Center (Makati), we’re focusing on what we call our locator. Locators are the spaces outside Power Plant mall, the ground floor spaces of the residential building. So we are excited with some openings happening around the mall. One is the chef-driven restaurant at Edades,” revealed Coqueiro. 

“This year, we will finally open the last restaurant at Proscenium Retail Row to complete the retail row of Proscenium. So at least it’s just in time for the theater that’s going to open.”

Much awaited in the Metro Manila arts scene is the opening of the state-of-the-art Proscenium theater in the third quarter this year. “When we were envisioning what Proscenium Retail Row should be, we had to prepare for what the audience of the Performing Arts Theater would be, aside from catering to the Proscenium residents. And we knew because the Lopez Drive restaurants were very successful, even after dinner, so we wanted to extend that success to Proscenium Retail Row,” explained Coqueiro.

‘Once the theater opens, after shows, people would definitely want to experience the retail’

“So when we were determining the mix for that for Proscenium, we asked each restaurant to make sure that they’re able to serve even after dinner. So meaning there’s drinking, there are cocktails, there’s wine. Because we knew that once the theater opens, after shows, people would definitely want to experience the retail. Because right now, parking there is so comfortable.

“And to prepare also for it, there’s that bridge from Proscenium all the way to Power Plant Mall. Then you land at the Grid. So if you feel like at night, you want to just cross to the mall or cross to Proscenium, at least we’re quite flexible.”

Even Power Plant at Rockwell Center Makati isn’t complacent about its success. 

“It’s just a bit of tweaking since the mall is full right now,” Coqueiro revealed plans of Power Plant. “So we are preparing some spaces, but these are for next year’s opening. We will have a few major fashion brands about to open by first quarter, 2026.”

Power Plant stumbled on a success formula that has been followed everywhere—the pop-ups. 

“What we’re doing continuously are the pop-ups. Because the mall is fully leased out, one way for us to continue making the mall exciting is if we’re able to offer variety through pop-ups. We have designer pop-ups on the second floor. So we feature different local designers.

“We got inspiration from a mall in Hong Kong, the Pacific Place. It’s a strategy that they held spaces and they didn’t want to lease them out permanently. Then it’s just meant to be revolving pop-up. So we felt that that was something also that was a good strategy for us because we knew that the mall is full already.

“And because of the success of those designer pop-ups, we translated it to food. That’s why we now have Balmori Chef’s Table on the ground floor where we feature different local chefs.”

What guides Rockwell Land in making these retail decisions that start off usually as incalculable risks but end up as game-changers in the industry?

‘I think it’s a combination of science and art’

“I think it’s a combination of science and art,” said Coqueiro. “Science meaning we look at data and stats that we have that guide us as to what’s coming out as far as numbers are concerned. And from there, we’re able to analyze better what we think will do well, will not do well. 

“But also it’s art. I think a big factor of what’s guiding us is how well we know the market, how well we know what we think the market is looking for, so that we can be a bit more confident when we take risks, because we know that even if it’s something new, a bit bold, it’s something the market could appreciate. It’s not perfect. I mean, we’ve had some risks also that didn’t also pay off. 

“But I guess the beauty of retail is we keep learning and adapting. And then we’re very lucky that our top management in our board, they’re very supportive in terms of allowing us to be a bit more creative.”

And what is that Rockwell market? It’s not exaggerating to say it is a market that other property developers would give an arm and a leg to win over.

“The core Rockwell market would be the residential community, a very strong residential community, as well as the offices here,” said Coqueiro. “Actually, Elise’s events team, when they launched Rockwellist app, that helped us a lot in guiding us to who our market is, what it’s spending on, how often.”

The Rockwellist app launched in 2020, it turned out, couldn’t have been better timed—going digital during the pandemic just as the world was under lockdown, and retail was at a standstill.   

“But it was really just baseline features, like the directory,” recalled Coqueiro. “The Rockwellist rewards and digital raffle, we launched in 2021. So just barely five years old.”

Rockwellist identified the Rockwell market as being in their 30s to 50s—“usually the executives or business owners. And from there, Elise’s team would do surveys just to find out the market’s satisfaction level, its wish list and priority spending.”

The app confirmed what was apparent to even the Power Plant mall-goers—that even people from downtown Manila go malling at Rockwell

Even if Rockwellist didn’t yet drill down into the customer database, it at least gave retail management an idea of what clientele Rockwell Center Makati has been serving. And the app confirmed what was apparent to even the Power Plant mall-goers—that even people from downtown Manila go malling at Rockwell; it has a regular, if loyal, Binondo market, for instance.

Also, the plan to pull in office workers even from outside Rockwell Center was apparently paying off.

Coqueiro explained in hindsight: “I think that the vision of Sir Tong (Rockwell chairman Nestor “Tong” Padilla) from the very beginning, that, while it’s a self-contained community, we need to be able to build the correct infrastructure around it. That’s why he knew that flyover (from Edsa) was very important to us. I think that paid off very well because, of course, in Metro Manila, one of the things important to us is being able to drive in and out of the center.”

Rockwell Center draws both the old and the young, their common denominator being they can spend.

Coqueiro said, “I think as far as demographics is concerned, we’re able to hit that sweet prime spot where they’re spending. It’s the Boomers and the GenX, and then now it’s the millennials and the GenX were in that sweet spot, then they have different behaviors. Millennials would have a totally different behavior than the Boomers. Then we need to prepare, again, for the GenZ as they grow older and start spending because their preferences and spending priorities or the loyalty would be a bit different.

“They spend on experiences…. We really add a personal touch when we nurture our VIPs. We talk to them personally. That’s how we nurture the current segment. But we’re also preparing for the incoming high spenders, the millennials, the GenZ…. the rewards. That’s something they like…. 

We’re growing our catalog of rewards.”

There’s big appreciation of elevated Pinoy food now. That’s why there are a lot more tasting menus

Where is Philippine retail going? Or how is the landscape evolving?

“Mr. Tong (Padilla) and I were just talking about retail the other day, how the food scene has completely changed, how we’re able to already compete on the international level. There’s big appreciation of elevated Pinoy food now. That’s why there are a lot more tasting menus. But because the food scene is just so competitive, the time frame for you to see how successful you are or not, if you will make it or not, has gotten shorter. Meaning when you plan for paybacks or returns on your investment, it’s actually a lot shorter than what it used to be.”

The pop-ups have become relevant concepts, for instance—“Balmori Suites is doing well. It’s become known for this special pop-up.

“That’s the first thing we started doing. Second is we have to raise the benchmark. Benchmark meaning we look into the performances of our tenants, and there’s a minimum threshold that that the tenant wants to meet….” 

Fashion retail is a different animal, so to speak, from dining. “What’s a bit different with fashion or with shopping or non-food retail,” Coqueiro noted,  “is the omnichannel, that whole incorporation of digital into the physical space. Meaning we see the behavior change when customers now research what the store is offering online, then they go to the store physically to make their shopping easier, meaning I guess it’s faster because they’re able to tell the store, ‘Oh, we saw this in your website. You have this, this’ so that they can try it. So it’s that whole seamless integration. But it’s not yet that seamless. I think the opportunity is still very big there because they’re not able to fully make all their products available online. It’s cataloguing. I think it will require commitment and effort. But the ones who have done it successfully are now feeling the benefit.

“For example, Zara is a very good example. Zara Online, very complete. It tells you which branch this product is available. When you go to Rockwell branch, they tell you which section you can find this item….”

Rockwell retail has big digital moves for 2025. “Monitoring, observing how AI impacts retail,” says Coqueiro. “It’s about hyper personalization. So instead of blasting a promotion offer across all, it’s very targeted. It’s really getting to know our niche on a personal level.”

How to do that?

“It’s a mix also. Apart from retail being a science and an art, it’s also for relationship building and nurturing for marketing spend. There’s still that personal touch where we communicate directly with our VIPs, for example, whether it be Viber or Messenger…. Since we’re on the Rockwellist app, we get a better picture of their preferences in terms of brand and habits. So we’re able to give them the offers tailored to their preferences. 

‘…the majority of them is from 30s to 50s. But we also get those in their 70s. They’re not afraid to get an app. No….’

“For the Rockwellist, we’ve captured a broad age segment, but the majority of them is from 30s to 50s. But we also get those in their 70s. They’re not afraid to get an app. No, no. They’re actually very, very (active) in redeeming their points.

“It’s a mix of Rockwell residents and also the nearby residential communities. A lot from Mandaluyong, Pasig…. Almost 50/50 actually, male.”

The story of Rockwell Power Plant that turns 25 this year, and of Rockwell retail in general, is an interesting mix of the organic and the formulaic, of science and art—from how it became the venue of the first biggest Zara in the country, and thus introducing this major foreign brand to Filipinos, to how it became the earliest home of Filipino artisans (i.e. Archaelogy).

Its success is not really just about science and art, or formula. Rockwell retail is eyes, ears, and nose, actually—using the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the nose to smell, and the touch to feel what’s going on and who’s coming, and which way the wind is blowing. The market, in short. 

In the robotics, digital age, Rockwell at 25 is, ironically, about the human senses. All of them in use at Power Plant and retail.

Oh, and if our clairvoyant source is to be believed, a regular herself at Power Plant, she sees “spirits” present all the time malling, such loyal presence. But that retail story is for another day.