SM Prime Holdings is accelerating its push into the regions, announcing plans to open four new malls outside Metro Manila in 2026 in a move that underscores confidence in provincial consumer growth.
Cris Noel E. Torres, executive vice president, said the developments will expand the group’s gross floor area (GFA) by about 3-4 percent from 9.7 million square meters recorded at end-2025. Three of the projects will each add between 60,000 and 70,000 square meters, while a larger-format mall will deliver roughly 130,000 square meters.
Set to open are SM City Zamboanga, SM City General Trias, SM City Tagum and SM City Santa Rosa, all positioned in high-growth corridors outside the capital.
The regional buildout comes as the company rides strong operating momentum. In 2025, SM malls drew an average of 115 million visits per month, totaling 1.4 billion for the year. December peak daily foot traffic surpassed 5 million visits, while occupancy among long-term tenants hit a record 96 percent.
Foot traffic was driven by new mall openings in La Union, expansions in Cebu, Davao and Bacolod, and experiential campaigns such as the Pyro-Musical Competition, Pokémon and One Piece activations, and the SM Active Hub sports program, which drew over 100,000 registered users.
At the same time, SM Supermalls is upgrading its tenant mix to sustain traffic. “We’re going to be introducing some international brands like Abercrombie and Fitch, as well as Hollister,” San Agustin said, adding that other global concepts and specialty brands, including Matcha and expanding lifestyle retailer Pop Mart, will further boost foot traffic.
Flagship projects in Santa Rosa, Pasay and Bulacan are also advancing, aligning with SM Prime’s target to launch one flagship mall annually starting 2026, cementing its dominance as provincial retail demand gathers pace.
