SM foot traffic hits 1.4B visits

Filipinos’ love for malls shows no signs of slowing down, with shoppers flocking to SM Supermalls in droves throughout 2025.

Buoyed by resilient consumer demand, SM Supermalls, the mall operations arm of SM Prime Holdings, reported about 1.4 billion visits across its nationwide network last year — signaling steady consumer activity despite challenging economic conditions and weather-related disruptions.

The company said on Thursday that its malls averaged 115 million visits monthly last year, with foot traffic peaking at 153 million in December, typically the busiest period for retail centers.

During the Christmas month alone, daily visits averaged 5.5 million on weekends and 4.6 million on weekdays.

Customer as the North Star

“As we marked our 40th anniversary last year, we reflected not only on what we have achieved, but on what the next four decades must become,” said SM Supermalls president Steven T. Tan. “With our customer as our North Star, we are evolving all for them, transforming their most-loved SM Supermalls not just to respond to needs, but to proactively anticipate them.”

SM said strong foot traffic was driven by new attractions, data-based customer insights, and the addition of new retail and lifestyle concepts across its malls.

The company is also expanding its network, with plans to open one flagship mall each year until 2030 while redeveloping existing locations to sustain growth and improve customer experience across its 89 malls.

New attractions

Last year, SM Supermalls launched new attractions such as MOA Sky and ScreenX, as well as SM Active Hub, a large sports-focused activity space. It also expanded Book Nook reading areas, rolled out sustainability programs, and hosted more community-focused events.

The mall operator introduced several new brands to the local market, including Chatterbox Café, Christy Ng, Funko, JD, Läderach, Mak’s Noodle, Oysho and Vivaia, expanding its mix of retail and dining tenants.

Foot traffic to remain strong

Foot traffic is expected to remain strong in 2026, supported by new destinations such as Southeast Asia’s first adidas Football Park and adidas Football Specialty Store, as well as Pop Mart’s first permanent Philippine store at SM Megamall, which both opened in late December.

To encourage repeat visits and keep its malls relevant, Tan said the company is continuing to introduce new concepts aligned with customer lifestyles.