An Australian refill retailer has opened in Makati with a pitch Filipino shoppers already understand, and its test is whether a mall-based, imported version of buying by weight can earn repeat visits.
Filipino shoppers have bought in small portions for generations, and the neighborhood store still works that way. Scoop Wholefoods launched in the Philippines on Oct. 30 with a store on the third floor of Power Plant Mall in Makati, and it sells a polished version of that habit. Shoppers bring clean containers, have them weighed, fill them, and pay only for what goes inside.
Scoop Wholefoods Replaces the Pack With a Scale
The Makati store runs on bins and dispensers. Shoppers without containers can use paper bags, and according to launch coverage, refillable jars and bottles are sold on the spot. The bins hold flour, herbs and spices, tea, granola, chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, and lentils. The store also has nut butter machines and kombucha on tap.
Jeremy and Bettina Kirk founded Scoop Wholefoods in Sydney in 2013, taking their inspiration from the markets of Malta. At the Philippine launch, Jeremy Kirk argued that packaging often costs more than the product inside it. That is the commercial case for the scale, and the brand’s motto, “Weigh to Save,” makes the same case in three words.
Local Rice and Kombucha Sit Next to Australian Imports
The shelves mix both sources. Australian lines include chocolate-coated fruits and nuts, granolas, and mueslis. Local suppliers named at the launch include Family Farms for rice and Brye and Brew for kombucha. Healthy Options Group Managing Director Romy Sia said the business plans to expand its network of Filipino farmers, artisans, and producers.
Bulk bins are not new to Metro Manila, and launch coverage itself acknowledges that package-free shopping already has local followers. What Scoop Wholefoods adds is a foreign brand name, an organic and imported range, and a Rockwell address, with food, cleaning ingredients, and personal care under one roof. It is the retailer’s second Southeast Asian market after Singapore. Sia framed the store as a modern version of a habit Filipinos already understand, which is buying in custom portions.
The pitch is that buying only what you need keeps spending in check. Launch coverage gave no per-gram peso prices, so that claim cannot yet be tested against a regular supermarket basket.
Scoop Whole Beauty Applies the Refill Model to Makeup
A dedicated soap room holds the non-food range. Liquid soaps, face masks, and body oils are sold by weight, alongside solid shampoo bars and compostable beauty tools.
Scoop Whole Beauty, the family’s makeup and skincare line, adds refillable mineral makeup, including palettes where shoppers replace single shades instead of discarding a full compact. The brand says it launched in 2023 and calls itself Australia’s first closed-loop makeup brand, a claim that comes from the company itself. On its Australian site, a refillable mineral eyeshadow palette lists at A$72 and its 3-in-1 cake mascara at A$49.95. The brand says refilling saves money. The comparison that matters is a refill’s price against a full compact, and no peso pricing for the beauty line has been published in the coverage reviewed.
The Pitch Leans on Control Over Thrift
The founders described shopping by weight as the freedom to choose healthier quantities that respect both budget and planet. For a shopper at a Rockwell address, that language points to control over quantity and ingredients more than to a discount. A launch brings curious first visits. Repeat visits depend on per-gram prices and on whether carrying clean containers to Rockwell fits a normal week.
FAQ
Where is Scoop Wholefoods in the Philippines?
The only Philippine store the brand lists is at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell Center, Makati, and launch coverage places it on the third floor. It is the retailer’s first store in the country.
Do you have to bring your own container to Scoop Wholefoods?
Shoppers can bring clean containers, use paper bags available in store, or buy refillable jars and bottles on site. Whatever the container, the price follows the weight of what goes inside.
Check out their Instagram Account @scoopwholefoods_ph
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