What’s topping the Filipino holiday list this year? At SM Supermalls, the country’s retail giant, it is less sparkle and more sense.
SM Supermalls President Steven Tan says Filipino shoppers are marching into the 2025 peak season not with wish lists, but with game plans.
Think essentials. Appliances. Gadgets. Home needs. Kids’ must-haves. Budget-smart fashion. In short: categories that pass what Tan jokingly frames as the “every peso must justify its purpose” test.
Not a gloomy return to bare basics, he clarifies, just a smarter, value-first mindset.
Across SM’s 89 shopping malls nationwide, the pattern is hard to miss: shoppers are hunting for utility over impulse buys. Gifts still matter, food remains sacred, and decorations still shine—but anything that doesn’t strengthen the family gathering agenda gets an automatic veto. Quality is absolutely in, so long as the price tag behaves.
“Shoppers will still look for quality,” Tan told Context.ph, “but they will balance it with tighter budgeting. It is not a full return to basics.” He adds that customers consistently gravitate toward “categories that deliver clear utility, from home needs to children’s items to well-priced fashion.”
Black Friday made the shift crystal clear. Shoppers arrived with priorities sharpened like a pre-payday grocery list. They are selective, purposeful, and refreshingly steady. Health and home essentials, electronics, and children’s items led the charge, proving that when value is obvious, Filipinos move with confidence.
Tenants, said Tan, reported strong traffic and solid conversions, with even the classic “window shopper” eventually giving in once the math checked out. Convenience, variety, and SM’s reputation for reliable pricing continue to anchor shopper trust, he added.
The trend reflects a subtle but meaningful shift: holiday shopping is no longer about accumulating for the sake of it. It is about strategy, thoughtfulness, and ensuring every peso earns its keep. Even indulgences are measured, but never joyless.
The result? A holiday season that may be measured, but is far from muted. It is powered by practical pesos and consumers who know exactly what they want, and exactly why.
At SM Malls, where holiday crowds move in festive waves, grit has quietly stolen glitter’s spotlight.
