Saturday, April 30, 2022
Forum Robinsons mall to close shop
MANDALUYONG City-based commercial shopping mall Forum Robinsons is set to close permanently on Sunday, after 18 years.
Earlier this month, an announcement was made on the mall's Facebook page that the mall will close in May "to make way for a new and exciting development." Formerly called Robinsons Place Pioneer, the mall, located along EDSA and Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City, opened on Nov. 17, 2004, and according to its information on the Robinsons Malls website, is focused on technology products.
"It was repositioned as a cyber lifestyle mall to better serve the needs of the tech generation, a large concentration of whom resides and works in the Cybergate community and neighboring cities," the mall's description wrote on the Robinsons Malls website.
"Forum Robinsons highlights information technology product categories such as computers, cellphones and other mobile/wireless gadgets, digital cameras, and audio-video and computer gaming equipment. Complementing this mix are four anchor stores, four state-of-the-art cinemas including one 3D cinema, and a host of satisfying shopping, dining, amusement and service outlets," it continued.
Though it was home to technology stores and other anchor stores, among its longest tenants was Victory, a Christian church with multiple locations nationwide. Its Pioneer branch was located on the mall's third floor from December 2007 to Feb. 15, 2020, and held worship services on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays. That congregation now meets in two locations, in Estancia at Capitol Commons in Pasig City (across Kapitolyo) and at the Aster Building in Mandala Park along Shaw Boulevard.
The church's former main hall was converted to a Covid-19 vaccination facility for Mandaluyong City residents.
It had also housed a business process outsourcing recruitment office, a video game arcade, and a "Food Loft" that was later converted to a "workplace station." The mall was initially supposed to close in the middle of 2020 but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before its closure, the mall's department store is holding an "all-out clearance sale" with select items being sold up to 80-percent off their price.
On its Facebook page, Forum Robinsons has asked netizens to post photos of the memories in the mall and will be included in a special video presentation on Saturday, the mall's last day of operations.
Forum Robinsons is set to be replaced by an "upscale shopping mall" and a mixed-use development facility with four office towers.