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“This strategic focus on creating spacious and comprehensive mall spaces aligns with our commitment to staying at the forefront of evolving consumer preferences and industry trends, ensuring that Ayala Malls remains a preferred destination for both tenants and visitors,” they continued.
As for Robinsons Malls, in 2022, they opened three new malls (including one in Gapan, Nueva Ecija), and expanded two other malls, including their property in Antipolo, Rizal. “Yes, the bigger the better,” said Maria Kristina Real-Lim, Robinsons Malls Vice-President for Leasing. Mr. Lumanlan however, added, “The choice of the size of mall to build depends on a lot of factors including the market, economic, and competitive profile in an area and the property that is available for the developer to build on.”
When malls operations were limited during the pandemic, the mall operators’ online arms reached out for customers. Robinsons retail units like its supermarkets and department stores jumped into online platforms such as Grab, Shopee, and Lazada, as well as maintaining its department store’s website. “Given the acceleration of digitalization in the industry post pandemic, the online platforms became more relevant and more important especially the video sharing, payment systems, and social networking platforms,” said Ms. Real-Lim. Mr. Lumanlan, agreed, saying, “With consumer shopping habits evolving, it’s important to reach, interact with and engage customers across different channels and platforms.”
Ayala Malls, however, reminded BusinessWorld: “We don’t have our own retail store, unlike our competitors,” they said. “Unlike some competitors who operate their own retail stores, Ayala Malls functions as a facilitator for various brands and retailers.”
However, they continued: “Recognizing the evolving retail landscape, we acknowledge the ongoing importance of online platforms. Ayala Malls views online channels as complementary to our mall-based business.”
During the pandemic, they had the Ayala Malls Neighborhood Assistant (nicknamed ANA) as a sort of a personal shopper service. The complementary services of their online arm includes today its Ayala Malls Zing App, which serves as a loyalty program.
Both entities opined on the continued importance of malls in a post-pandemic world. While online shopping may be here to stay, the age-old practice of choosing items by yourself seems to be indelible. However, the mall operators conclude that being in the mall just to buy things is no longer enough, and every visit should have value added to it, perhaps with added and amplified experiential factors.
“Consumer journeys continue to evolve and the malls are adapting well to the changes by introducing more experiential, differentiated, and wider range of options for shoppers,” said Mr. Lumanlan. “The pandemicevolved Pinoy shopper is more empowered so it’s very important that we focus on customer experience in providing convenience and customer satisfaction,” said Ms. Real-Lim.
For Robinsons Malls, these include the evolution of their spaces beyond retail to be entertainment hubs with “experiential installations,” dining options, art exhibits, and other leisurely activities. While malls had already been used as government-service hubs, the use of mall space for these activities accelerated by the pandemic. “Malls also are now