SM expects stable foot traffic this year after 1.4-B visits in 2025

SM PRIME Holdings, Inc. said foot traffic is expected to remain resilient this year, after its mall unit SM Supermalls averaged 115 million monthly visits in 2025, totaling 1.4 billion for the year.

Foot traffic reached 153 million in December, with daily averages of 5.5 million on weekends and 4.6 million on weekdays, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

It said figures held steady despite economic headwinds and weather disruptions.

“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 Supermalls President Steven T. Tan said.

In 2025, SM opened MOA Sky and ScreenX — both firsts in the Philippines — and launched SM Active Hub.

Other additions included expanded Book Nook reading spaces, sustainability initiatives, and community events. New brands entered the Philippine market through SM, including Chatterbox Café, Christy Ng, Funko, JD, Läderach, Mak’s Noodle, Oysho, and Vivaia.

SM said it plans to open one flagship mall per year through 2030, alongside network-wide redevelopments.

Foot traffic is projected to remain resilient this year, the company added.

Looking to 2026, upcoming attractions include Southeast Asia’s first adidas Football Park and adidas Football Specialty Store, plus Pop Mart’s first permanent Philippine store at SM Megamall, both launched in late December.

“This year, we are bringing in new concepts that reflect how customers live, so every SM mall continues to feel personal, meaningful, and worth returning to,” Mr. Tan said.

For this year, the company said it expects strong foot traffic and sales, noting last year’s respectable fourth-quarter performance despite inflation.

SM Prime reported P48.8 billion in net income for 2025, up 7% from P45.6 billion a year earlier, supported by revenues from its commercial properties and lower expenses.

Consolidated revenues reached P141.1 billion, slightly higher than P140.4 billion recorded in 2024. Revenue from commercial properties, which include rental establishments, increased 6% to P98.6 billion from P92.6 billion.

At a briefing on Feb. 16, the company announced plans to open four malls outside Metro Manila in 2026: SM Zamboanga, SM General Trias, SM Tagum, and SM Santa Rosa.

“Three of the four (malls) are about 60,000-70,000 square meters (sq.m.) gross floor area (GFA) and then SM Santa Rosa is about 130,000 GFA,” SM Supermalls Executive Vice-President for Marketing Joaquin L. San Agustin said.

The company said that, based on size and contribution to GFA and gross leasable area (GLA), it expects an increase of about 3%-4% in its current GFA at yearend.

At the local bourse on Thursday, SM Prime shares rose 2.33% to P22 apiece. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno