Villar Group to venture into high-end malls

Manny Villar (Wikipedia Photo)

MANILA- The Villar family, the group behind Starmalls Inc., is poised to tap the upscale and mass markets for its two new shopping mall brands.

Starmalls chairman Manuel B. Villar Jr. said in a briefing that the company has developed two new shopping concepts, namely Starmall Prima and Starmall Strip.

“Starmalls is determined to up the ante and raise the level of the mall experience for the Filipino by building higher quality malls with a more dynamic tenant mix, wider retail and service offerings, and interiors and exteriors inspired by the world’s more trend-setting commercial hubs,” he said.

Starmall Prima conceptualizes new ideas on mall design and function, and will include an upgraded level of tenants.

Set to open in the city of Taguig, the first Starmall Prima will be a 55,000-square meter project. This will be followed by Starmall Prima branches in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and Molino, Cavite within the next two years.

Villar added that the Starmalls’ anchor branch along EDSA in Mandaluyong will down the road be converted to Starmall Prima, as well.

Starmall Strip on the other hand, is the group’s community mall concept.

Nearly 100 sites have been pinpointed as potential venues for Starmall Strips. These strips will service communities developed by Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., also among the Villar family’s holdings.

Starmalls targets to open 22 shopping centers by 2017.