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

 

Pickleball Courts, EV Chargers, and Sensory Labs: What 'My SM' Looked Like in H1 2026

MANILA, Philippines, 29 July 2026 — Even with consumer spending tightening up elsewhere, SM Supermalls held steady on foot traffic and business performance through the first half of 2026. SM Prime Holdings' mall arm credits three shifting customer habits for keeping people coming back.

“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.”

New and Reimagined Spaces

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

Pickleball has become SM's biggest mall-based sports story of the year — court count jumped to 86 across 29 malls in H1 alone. The SM Active Hub matched that momentum with community events, including the inaugural SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge, which held 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.

On the entertainment side, SM Seaside Cebu Arena opened as a 25,000-capacity venue for the Visayas — its inaugural show headlined by Filipino pop group BINI.

SM Cinemas, meanwhile, saw strong turnout across both studio blockbusters and smaller indie hits. Its ScreenX format, launched late last year, gave moviegoers an immersive way to watch 2026 titles like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, with Spider-Man: Brand-New Day the most recent draw.

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

Not every addition was built for excitement. The SM Sensory Lab, developed 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 space to navigate.

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

SM also completed its Electric Vehicle Charging Station rollout across all 90 of its malls — full nationwide coverage as more drivers turn to EVs amid rising fuel costs.

The common denominator across all of these — sensory-friendly rooms, EV chargers, sport courts — is that “My SM” keeps adjusting to whatever a given shopper actually needs.

New Ways to Eat, Shop, and Spend an Afternoon

As demand grew for food experiences shoppers couldn't find elsewhere, SM expanded its Food Hall concept across the country, handing regional cuisines and local food businesses prime real estate in its busiest areas.

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

New retail and dining brands, several exclusive to SM, rounded out the offerings: Madrid's San Ginés Chocolatería opened at SM Podium, Super Matcha arrived at SM Megamall, and Candid Coffee opened at SM Mall of Asia — all part of a growing café scene. On the fashion side, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister gave local shoppers their first local access to both brands.

Pairing recognizable global names with curated local food concepts is how “My SM” is angling to be a lifestyle destination first and a shopping center second.

Shoppers Driving the Conversation

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 put mallgoers in the storyteller's seat, pulling in tens of millions of video views along the way.

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

Pop culture had its own moments too — a Pokémon Center activation at SM Mall of Asia, and the sixth edition of Animazing North, which featured a Solo Leveling-themed interactive installation.

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

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

Fitness events drew their own crowds through SM Active Hub, with tens of thousands joining major races like the Galaxy Manila Marathon on EDSA and the SM2SM race in Cebu.

A marathon on EDSA, a fandom pop-up, a viral clip — shoppers are increasingly the ones shaping what “My SM” looks like, and passing it on to everyone else.

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

On the expansion side, SM opened SM Zamboanga in Q1, its newest property in Mindanao, and is set to close out the year with the opening of its upscale mall in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa.

As Filipino lifestyles keep leaning toward wellness, connection, and shared experiences, SM Supermalls is adjusting right alongside them — building a version of “My SM” that every Filipino can genuinely call their own.