Saving While Shopping in Ayala Malls: A Cebuano Consumer’s Take

Ayala Center Cebu is the first shopping center established by Ayala Malls outside of Metro Manila. Located at the Cebu Business Park, the mall opened its doors to the Cebuano market in 1994. While the mall is associated with expensive high-end products, it still continues to attract Cebuanos looking for great discounts. But do they save when they shop at the Ayala Center Cebu? Find out in our review below.

Every time Ayala Center Cebu holds a sale event, all roads leading to the mall are expected to experience a gridlock. People trying to find the best deals at different stores in the mall are a common sight. Since sales are held over the weekend, the mall is typically filled to the brim with shoppers. During these events, shoppers can get discounts of up to 50% off on select items. Tenants would also have buy-one-take-one offers to shoppers.

These mall-wide sale events are usually held on red-letter days which considered significant or memorable in the country, like May 1 and June 12. When these red-letter days fall on only one day of the weekend, the sale is normally extended throughout the entire weekend. Sales may also be held on payday or every 15th or 30th day of each month, or on special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, and the like.

While I dread wading through a throng of people trying to satisfy their wants and needs, I also like to find the best deals. This is especially true when I have something to tick off my wish list.

While the focus of these events is normally retail stores selling clothes, shoes, and gadgets, shoppers can also look forward to getting good deals in restaurants. These restaurants may offer discounts on food and drinks or special prices on some menu items. Some of these stores also have a loyalty or rewards card where customers can accumulate points for future purchases. In fact, I was able to purchase something using the points I earned as a rewards card holder of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

Read: The Culinary Paradise of Cebu: Where to Begin? (Part 1)

Aside from mall-wide sale events, individual stores may also hold their own sale events where they offer discounts of up to 70% off on select items. Store sales may be scheduled any time depending on the anniversary or special event at the store.

Some stores even have end-of-season sales. These are based on end-of-season sales in the United States where unsold stocks of clothing for the season are offered at reduced prices. While the Philippines only has wet and dry seasons, some stores in the country still hold such sales. Here, customers may see prices of select items go down by 50% to as much as 70%.

Read: 10 Comfy, Fashionable Kids’ Jackets to Shop for this Rainy Season

Since I like to read, I normally wait for my favorite bookshop to hold these sale events. The prices of books would go down by as much as 70% off their regular prices. Whenever this happens, you will likely see me going up and down the shelves looking for some of the books on my wish list.

When dining in Ayala Center Cebu, I also look for the best deals in restaurants inside the mall. Some restaurants offer discounted prices or buy-one-get-one-free on some menu items.

The Maze is an area where shoppers can find specialty shops and booths in the third level of Ayala Center Cebu. Shoppers can find different items for sale, from mobile devices to apparel, and jewelry to toys. It is essentially a one-stop shop for people looking for gift ideas for loved ones.

The prices of the items at The Maze are rather reasonable. For instance, a two-liter Ocean Pack waterproof bag may be sold at PhP399 at a popular online store but cost only PhP200 at one of the stalls at The Maze. On the other hand, a three-liter bag at The Maze is sold at PhP300, compared to PhP420 at the online store. The same stall also sells a five-liter and 15-liter bag at PhP550 and PhP700, respectively compared to PhP499 and PhP670, respectively, at the online store. This shows that some of the items at The Maze may be cheaper while others may be a bit more expensive.

Another stall at The Maze sells sunglasses starting at PhP250. The prices of watches sold at the same stall are between PhP290 toPhP450. While these sunglasses and watches are not the branded ones, the prices are still quite reasonable andmay even be comparable to the ones sold in downtown Cebu.

There are also instances when The Maze at Ayala Center Cebu holds sale events, when some stalls offer discounts of up to 70% off on select items. Freebies and gift vouchers may also be offered when shoppers purchase some items offered at the stalls.

Whenever I drop by The Maze, I normally check out the latest gadgets available for sale. Many of the latest gadgets are sold at the same price as those sold in stores outside The Maze. But there are also some instances when I could get a good deal when purchasing here. For instance, I was able to buy a branded pair of headphones at a price PhP50 lower than what was offered at another store in the mall. While the discount may not be that significant, it is still a good deal for me.

Ayala Malls may be associated with expensive branded products, but shoppers can still find good deals if they know where to look. Shoppers can take note of red-letter days since the mall normally holds sale events on these dates. They can also take advantage of the loyalty or rewards program offered by some restaurants so they can earn points which they can use for future purchases. Shoppers should also be on a constant lookout for special events that their favorite store may offer. All these make it possible for us to save when we shop in Ayala Malls, particularly at Ayala Center Cebu.