West Elm Philippines, the furniture chain of Williams Sonoma, has opened its first store in Manila.
The store, located in the new Estancia Mall at Capitol Commons, Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City. It will compete with Crate & Barrel, which made its Philippines debut last year, and complement another Williams Sonoma brand Pottery Barn.
While skewed towards complete furniture solutions, West Elm also stocks a comprehensive range of homewares. It positions itself as creating “unique and affordable designs for modern living”.
One standout feature of West Elm Philippines is that it works with local Filipino producers to stock their products, not just imported goods.
Among locals to feature in the store are Filipino Capiz Artisans, a co-op of family owned businesses preserving traditional capiz handcrafts, including Capiz Chandelier and Pendant lighting; Filipino Weavers, known for their skilled weaving, braiding, twisting and knits using innovative techniques passed down through generations to create braided storage containers; and Santo Tomas Potters, Pampanga-based creators of hand-thrown, hand-cast and hand-painted ceramics.
Jim Brett, president of West Elm, said he believes there is “a tremendous appetite for well-designed, finely crafted home goods and furnishings” in the Philippines.
The 7000 sqft store has opened showcasing the brand’s summer collection which includes furniture, bedding, bathroom accessories, rugs, window textiles and hardware, lighting, decorative accessories, dining, kitchen products, and gifts. It also offers services at Design Lab, where customers can partner with design specialists for complimentary consultations and space planning sessions.
West Elm currently has 71 retail stores in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. The Philippines is its first Asia market, and it has an unaffiliated franchisee operating stores in the Middle East.
