Creating a home for every tribe
Today’s malls are more than just a throbbing marketplace where money changes hands in a fraction of a second. They are spaces where Filipinos spend full days exploring new hobbies, dining and embarking on weekend “side quests.”
SM Supermalls reflects that. As Filipino lifestyles have changed, so have its malls—evolving into places where families gather, friends meet, communities connect and different “tribes” find spaces that feel like their own. MySM, SM Supermalls’ newest campaign, celebrates that evolution and the many ways Filipinos now experience the mall.
During a fireside chat at The Podium Hall, SM Supermalls president Steven Tan and senior assistant vice president for marketing and leasing Hanna Carinna Sy shared what’s ahead for SM Supermalls and their vision for the future of retail, lifestyle and community spaces.
The mall as a community
Steven pointed out how much the role of the mall has changed. It is no longer simply a place to pick up essentials and head home.
“People nowadays aren’t just shopping at SM,” he said. “Dati ganyan.”
Whether you’re a fur parent or a geek, or into fandoms or active living, there’s a place for you at SM.
Today, people come for coffee, an art exhibit, a pickleball game, a new restaurant or simply to spend time with family and friends. In fact, more than 40,000 runners participated in the Galaxy Manila Marathon and SM2SM Cebu events this year, while pickleball has grown to 102 courts across 32 malls nationwide.
Culture, too, has found a place in the mall, with Museo del Galeon, Art for Everyone and AweSM Festivals bringing art and heritage closer to everyday mallgoers.
That is where SM sees its role expanding—from places to shop to spaces where people can pursue their interests, connect and spend time.
The shift is visible in SM’s newest developments. Following the opening of its 90th mall, SM City Zamboanga, the company is set to open SM Nuvali this November.
Designed as an eat-and-play destination, the new mall will feature the country’s first LED cinema screen of its kind, along with new entertainment concepts.
In the Visayas, the newly opened 25,000-seat SM Seaside Cebu Arena brings major concerts and sporting events to a world-class venue.
Food, fun and experiences
The transformation is perhaps most obvious in what fills SM’s spaces.
When Steven joined SM in 2004, restaurants and food outlets accounted for less than five percent of the mall mix. Today, that figure has grown to about 30%, reflecting how Filipinos now use malls.
The rise of e-commerce played a part. As more people began buying essentials online, SM had to find new reasons for them to come to the mall. The answer was to create more spaces for dining, celebration and experiences.
For Steven, it’s about understanding what people are looking for—and giving them more reasons to stay.
But understanding what people want also means knowing when to listen.
SM has formed a Gen Z Council, a group of young people tapped to advise the company on emerging trends and ideas. For Steven, the council helps ensure that decisions aren’t based solely on what senior executives think they know about today’s consumers.
“It’s not because I’m the boss, ako ang masusunod,” he said. “I listen to our people. Because you don’t know everything, that’s for sure.”
The council brings fresh ideas to the table, while SM’s leadership brings years of experience. Together, they create a balance between new perspectives and lessons learned over the years.
One idea that came out of the Gen Z Council was “Gala to the Max,” SM’s campaign that showed how an ordinary mall visit could turn into a shared experience.
“It’s not my idea,” Steven said. “It’s really their idea.”
That same conversation with younger consumers continues online. SM SuperMakers, an always-on TikTok creator community, invites creators to discover, experience and share what’s happening across SM.
Through SM-related content and collaborations, creators can access exclusive experiences, perks, rewards and future campaign opportunities—becoming storytellers of the SM experience.
For a company that has grown alongside generations of Filipino shoppers, perhaps listening is one of the ways it continues to evolve.
Making SM personal
If Steven’s Gen Z Council represents SM’s effort to listen to the next generation, Hanna Carinna Sy is helping turn those insights into experiences that make the mall feel more personal.
As senior assistant vice president for marketing and leasing, Carinna oversees programs that have become familiar to Filipino families, including SM Little Stars and the SM Spelling Bee, as well as initiatives for pet owners.
But the goal, she stressed, isn’t simply to bring more people through the doors.
“We create these programs not just so we get foot traffic, not just for crowds,” Carinna said. “It’s really about creating individual experiences for people of all ages.”
SM Little Stars, now in its 17th year, gives talented children a chance to take the spotlight, while the Spelling Bee offers a more educational experience. Together, they reflect SM’s effort to create something for different interests and age groups—including Gen Z and Gen Alpha, its future customers.
Then there are the fur parents.
Carinna considers the pet program her personal favorite, partly because it was one of the first initiatives she worked on with her team. With pet ownership growing during the pandemic and more people treating their pets as family, SM has been looking for ways to make its spaces more welcoming to them.
At The Podium, for instance, SM recently introduced a pet-changing station, with plans to expand the concept to other malls. Carinna hinted that these facilities could eventually go beyond a simple changing station and become dedicated spaces for pets.
For Carinna, it is another way of making the mall feel less like a commercial space and more like a place that understands the lives of the people—and even the pets—who walk through its doors.
All these changes point to a broader idea behind MySM: the mall is no longer designed for just one kind of customer.
There is room for fandoms and geeks, fur parents and active-lifestyle enthusiasts, children discovering their talents and families simply looking for a place to spend time together.
“This isn’t just about making our malls better,” Carinna said. “It’s about helping every Filipino thrive.”
SM mall may have started as a place to buy what we need. Today, it is increasingly a place to experience the things we love, pursue our interests and connect with the people who share them.
Rapid fire with Steven and Carinna
Away from the big-picture plans, Steven and Carinna reveal a few personal favorites in this quick-fire round.
What’s your most memorable SM moment?
Steven: The opening of SM Aura.
Carinna: Celebrating my birthday at SM Mall of Asia before it opened.
Cinema, shopping or eating?
Steven: Shopping.
Carinna: Eating.
What would you like to see more of at SM?
Steven: Green spaces.
Carinna: More brands.
What’s your ultimate comfort food?
Steven: Fried chicken.
Carinna: Waffles.
What’s a small luxury you never feel guilty spending on?
Steven: Time.
Carinna: Coffee.
What city outside the Philippines feels like home?
Steven: Paris. I studied there.
Carinna: Melbourne. I studied there.
What’s something people are surprised to learn about you?
Steven: I know a lot of ’80s music. I also memorize a lot of Billboard’s No. 1 hits.
Carinna: Back then, I thought I would end up in theater.
If you had a completely free day with no meetings, how would you spend it?
Steven: Spend time with my mom.
Carinna: In the mall.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Steven: From Tatang, Henry Sy Sr., our founder: “Listen to your customers.”
Carinna: From my dad Hans Sy: “Stay focused, stay hungry, and stay humble.”
What do you hope people remember you for?
Steven: How I contributed to the greater good of the community.
Carinna: That, at the end of the day, I’m more than just Tatang’s granddaughter or my dad’s daughter. I can also contribute in my own way.
