STO has expanded the retail offering at its People’s Choice hypermarket with the opening of a new first floor dedicated to home improvement, household products, electronics and family-oriented shopping facilities.
The floor was inaugurated at a ceremony held on Thursday, 11 June 2026, attended by Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed, members of the STO board and executive management, suppliers and clients of brands represented by STO General Trading. The new section will open to shoppers from Friday.
The expansion broadens the scope of People’s Choice beyond its existing grocery and food retail operations, providing customers with a larger selection of home appliances, décor products and household items in one location.
The floor includes outlets for Procure Plus and Peekaboo, as well as a dedicated Rainbow Home Improvement display area. Electronics and appliances from brands including Philips, Russell Hobbs, LG and Dyson are also available, alongside products from Chinese technology brand Sunmi, which has been introduced to the Maldivian market through the opening.
A branch of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is expected to begin operations on the floor at a later date. The space has also been designed to accommodate families, with a dedicated children’s corner intended to make shopping more convenient for customers visiting with young children.
STO introduced the supermarket model to the Maldives when the first People’s Choice outlet opened in 1991, bringing groceries and other essential products together under one roof. The business was later redeveloped and reopened in 2022 as the country’s first hypermarket, adding home improvement brands to its established food and grocery operations.
The company extended the People’s Choice network to Hulhumalé Phase 1 in February 2026, increasing access to its retail services for residents of one of the most populated areas within the Greater Malé region.
The opening of the new floor represents a further expansion of the hypermarket model, with STO increasing the range of home, lifestyle and technology products available through People’s Choice while adding new facilities intended to improve the overall shopping experience.
