The New 'My SM': How the Filipino Consumer Is Redefining the Mall Experience

MANILA, Philippines, 29 July 2026 — Customers, not square footage, are the ones driving where SM Supermalls goes next.

Foot traffic held steady and business performance stayed positive through the first half of 2026, even as consumer spending pulled back elsewhere. SM Prime Holdings' mall arm points to three shifts that kept people walking through its doors anyway.

“Filipinos kept showing up for family, passions, and the moments that matter,” said Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls. “SM remained a trusted constant, creating more ways to celebrate, connect, play, and discover, while evolving alongside how Filipinos now live. That is the heart of 'My SM' - evolving alongside our customers so every mall feels personal, inclusive, and built around what they love most.”

Expanded and Reinvented Spaces

Pickleball dominates the sports landscape as SM Supermalls rapidly expands its nationwide courts to meet booming consumer demand.

SM is now the country's largest mall-based pickleball destination, with its court count growing to 86 across 29 malls in the first half of the year. The SM Active Hub kept pace with that demand by hosting community events like the inaugural SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge, which wrapped up its Grand Finals in July 2026.

The new SM Seaside Cebu Arena elevates the Visayas entertainment scene as a world-class venue capable of hosting up to 25,000 guests.

Entertainment got a boost too. SM Seaside Cebu Arena opened as a new world-class venue for the Visayas, with room for up to 25,000 guests, and Filipino pop group BINI headlined its inaugural show.

SM Cinemas rode a wave of strong box office turnout, powered by both studio blockbusters and indie sleeper hits. Its exclusive ScreenX format, launched late last year, gave local moviegoers an immersive way to watch 2026 titles like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, with Spider-Man: Brand-New Day as its most recent draw.

The country's first SM Sensory Lab offers a safe and welcoming environment for mallgoers navigating sensory processing challenges.

Not every new space at SM is built for spectacle. The SM Sensory Lab, launched in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), gives mallgoers with sensory processing challenges a calmer environment to navigate the mall in.

Mallgoers utilize SM's nationwide Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for greener transit alternatives.

SM also finished rolling out Electric Vehicle Charging Stations across all 90 of its malls nationwide, giving drivers full coverage as the country leans further into alternative transportation amid rising fuel costs.

From sensory-friendly spaces to EV charging, these additions point to the same idea: “My SM” is meant to flex around what each shopper actually needs.

Reimagined Customer Experiences

As shoppers looked for food experiences they couldn't get anywhere else, SM leaned further into its Food Hall concept nationwide, giving regional cuisine and local food businesses space in its highest-traffic areas.

Food lovers enjoy unique culinary concepts and elevated dining spaces at SM Aura's newly reimagined Food Hall.

New retail and food launches, several of them exclusive, also expanded what shoppers could find under one roof. Madrid's San Ginés Chocolatería opened in SM Podium, alongside Super Matcha in SM Megamall and Candid Coffee in SM Mall of Asia, feeding growing demand for café culture. On the fashion side, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister gave local shoppers access to two internationally recognized clothing brands for the first time.

Pairing global names with curated local food concepts is how SM is positioning “My SM” as a lifestyle destination first, and a shopping center second.

Enhanced Market Engagement

SM Supermalls drives massive social engagement with tens of millions of views through its interactive “Gala to the Max” campaign.

SM's “Gala to the Max” campaign turned mallgoers into storytellers, racking up tens of millions of video views in the process.

Geeks and anime enthusiasts live out their passions with exclusive interactive pop-ups at Animazing North's 6th edition.

Pop culture fans got their own moments too, with exclusive pop-ups like the Pokémon Center activation in SM Mall of Asia and the sixth edition of Animazing North, which featured an interactive installation built around Solo Leveling.

SM Mall of Asia also hosted the NHCP's HistoEx 2026 in celebration of Buwan ng Kasaysayan — a three-day exposition of interactive exhibits, public lectures, and installations tracing the country's maritime heritage.

Runners take over EDSA for the Galaxy Manila Marathon, one of SM Active Hub's major fitness events.

Active lifestyles got their share of the spotlight through SM Active Hub events, drawing tens of thousands of participants to major races like the Galaxy Manila Marathon on EDSA and the SM2SM race in Cebu.

Whether it's a marathon on EDSA, a fandom meetup, or a viral video, shoppers are increasingly the ones shaping what “My SM” looks like — and sharing it with everyone else.

Bringing new retail and lifestyle experiences to Mindanao, SM Zamboanga officially welcomed shoppers in Q1 2026.

On the expansion front, SM opened SM Zamboanga in the first quarter, marking its latest retail property in Mindanao, and is on track to close out 2026 with the opening of its upscale mall in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa.

As Filipino lifestyle habits keep shifting toward wellness, connection, and meaningful experiences, SM Supermalls is shifting with them — giving every Filipino a space they can genuinely call “My SM.”