HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
 

Malcolm Gladwell once wrote that he considers Victor Gruen to be the most influential architect of the last half of the 20th century; and this is because Gruen is credited with having created the first modern indoor mall. This was a mall in Minneapolis in 1956; and by the 1970’s, Gruen’s firm had designed over 50 malls across the United States. This concept of a retail palace, a one-stop location for all types of merchandise and activities mushroomed into a race to be “the bigger and better” through the 1980’s and 1990’s. Here in the Philippines, we love our malls, and it was only Covid that shut the doors of our malls.

Post health-crisis, the malls here in the Philippines have made a tremendous comeback. And let’s observe that this isn’t the case all over the globe. Europe was never that big on malls, and the USA has seen malls decline as Americans transitioned to online commerce. Here in Southeast Asia, it varies country to country. Malls find favor in Singapore and Thailand; but that’s not necessarily the case in Vietnam. Japan likes incorporating their “malls” in their JR train stations.

What is very interesting is how here in the Philippines, the mall has evolved to be more than just a collection of retail brands and recreational centers. To survive in a more meaningful manner, malls have elevated themselves to be a pillar of the community, and repositories of thought leadership; and I’ll use SM Supermalls to demonstrate how this has been effectively achieved.

During last month’s Earth Day, to support the DENR (Department of the Environment and Natural Resources) and raise awareness on the fight against plastic waste, SM Supermalls partnered with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of the Philippines for the DENR’s Earth Day, Every Day Project. A plastics collection competition among students and schools; Nestle participated in the endeavor, providing the prizes for the competition.

The last week of April, SM City Santa Rosa, Laguna unveiled its new solar farm. A state of the art rooftop photovoltaic system, this particular solar farm will generate electricity that covers up to 16 percent of the mall’s yearly energy usage. It will reduce the mall’s reliance on conventional energy sources, reduce it’s carbon footprint, and contribute to the global fight against climate change. Via this Santa Rosa addition, the SM Prime’s Rooftop Solar PV System target goal is further boosted by more than 100 MWp over the next three years.

In collaboration with PSAC Jobs, PCCI, ECOP, and PHILEXPORT, SM Supermalls hosted Job Fairs all over the country on May 1st. It was happening in 23 malls on Labor Day, and continued in different malls all the way up to May 10th. As they stand, these fairs are job-matching events that offer career opportunities, and give employers an opportunity to meet their potential new hires on a face-to-face basis.

In just a little over a week, we had these three activities happening at SM Malls – and this year happens to be the 30th anniversary of SM Prime. The three events represent a microcosm of how the SM Malls of today go beyond just being a physical edifice of retail. In the case of the Earth Day, Every Day initiative, it’s a wonderful example of a public-private partnership amplifying an important message about plastic waste and pollution, encouraging and incentivizing our youth to be more conscious about the environment.

With the Santa Rosa solar farm, SM Supermalls is extending its commitment to sustainable development, and showcasing its readiness to have its infrastructure “walk the walk.” It’s not just lip service, or cosmetic changes to the malls; but capital-intensive measures that herald renewable energy as the future template for mall operations. The job fairs showcase how the reach and accessability of the SM Malls throughout the country, can be harnessed to act as convenient community centers; and thereby, aid in our national recovery and help reduce unemployment – as the job fairs were happening simultaneously in over 20 malls.

One last mall trivia factoid, the Galeria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan opened in 1877, and as a unique four story, double arcade structure, is considered the first mall. Located to the left of the Duomo di Milano Cathedral, it’s known for its grand architecture, and the floor of mosaic marble. Visitors to Milan continue to be astounded by this Galeria.

Will the Filipinos of 2050 look back at these solar farms on the rooftop of malls, and recognize them as earnest efforts by commercial developers to be champions of renewable energy? How much further can these malls evolve operationally, to be existing in harmony with the community that surrounds them? Me, I’m happy to observe how malls in the Philippines have become multi-dimensional, with a purpose that elevates them beyond the business of selling.