Global financial meltdown or not, people will continue to shop. Luxury is recession-proof and women-and-shopping is a till-death-do-us-part relationship.

This seems to be what keeps local retailers optimistic despite the grim consumer-spending forecasts and, at least for now, impervious to the global trend of buckling down. Many admit they have yet to feel the squeeze — and they hope it will be long in coming. Could it be that they are blissfully naive, or have they caught on to novel and pioneering marketing strategies that global brands are not aware of?

Filipino bag and boutique retailer Joanna Preysler Francisco of the Carbon and Tint shops in Rockwell Mall and Greenbelt 3 Ayala in Manila’s posh district of Makati says it’s not so much that she has an arsenal for battling ‘recession blues’ but that going into and remaining in the retail trade market requires a rather high level of patience and persistence to begin with.

Even before the global crisis, she says, she knew that "retail is not for the faint of heart". With the current economic crunch, she adds, "We just try to be even more prudent with our overhead costs, and pray hard that we can ride this wave."

Joanna got into the business seven years ago with her husband Raul. He felt there was a void in the market for mid-range, fashion-forward boutiques. At the time, the only choices that people had were high-end designers or mass-based brands. "Raul wanted to create a niche that would cater to the discerning individual yet not break the bank. We wanted the stores to have a global feel, with international standards of design, customer service, and products — and yet have proudly homegrown concepts," she recounts. "We started out doing bags, then rolled out shoes, accessories, and clothing. We still do limited quantities, so there is a certain amount of exclusivity — you won’t bump into 10 people wearing the same thing!"

She likens the main challenges of growing her small business to that of a little boy learning how to play in the sandbox with the ‘bigger boys’, wherein the ‘big boys’ get to bring in more toys (i.e. international brands.)

Joanna smiles, "It challenges us to be on top of our game, to be realistic about strengths and weaknesses, and to continuously evolve. Like my husband says, while they have size and financial muscle, we have speed and exclusivity. We don’t want to lose our personal touch—being in tune with our customers helps us keep our ear close to the ground."

In times of crisis, she says, keeping the staff motivated is key. "We give our staff members a lot of pep talk and incentives, and show them that we appreciate a job well done. A kind word and incentives go a long way!"

To stay ahead, or at least afloat, what’s crucial is to keep and attract customers. For now that means "giving them a lot of bang for their buck", says Joanna. And customers do respond to her strategy with feedbacks that say they continue to be pleasantly surprised by the stores’ friendly price points.

She is quick to point out though that "consumers as a whole are being extra-prudent with expenses—everyone has a ‘wait and see’ attitude for now. Customers are also more inclined to go towards the ‘sale’ rack nowadays."

So what does she think people buy and wear in 2009?

"I’m hoping that people will turn to mid-range brands such as ours during trying times, and that consumers will support small local businesses. People may hold off on big luxury purchases, and instead come to boutiques such as ours — there’s less buyer’s remorse and more sensitivity to the times."

For Joanna, women and shopping go hand-in-hand — at any time. "People may trade down in certain areas of fashion (perhaps turning to mid-range boutiques) or may put off big luxury expenses (like holding-off on that Hermes Birkin they’ve been eyeing), but I think shopping as a whole is recession-proof."

There may be more sale-driven or discount-driven customers for now, but "people will shop till they drop whether it’s at the malls or bazaars because shopping is like Prozac. It gives you a certain high when you find something you like and the price is right. It’s like a warm friendly hug — that’s why it’s called retail therapy!"

Besides, she has always believed that luxury is recession-proof. "Luxury brands will survive the ups and downs of the economy," she says. So people who own Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Gucci and LV need not fear that the end is in sight if they agree with Joanna, herself an avid customer.

So what is she like as a customer herself? "I’m more conscious about supporting local businesses, especially those of my friends. We all have to look out for each other," she quips.