Four generations of SM

My first memory of Shoe Mart was of downtown Manila. Christmas was just around the corner and for the first time my mother took me to Manila to buy me a pair of shoes. As we came from the province, nothing but the best would do. We went around the shopping area and with aching feet we were relieved to find the second floor of this shoe store. I was tired and ready to give up my hunt for shoes. But one helpful and patient saleslady treated me like a princess and made sure that we chose those dainty pair that fit and soothed my weary feet. It made me think that if Cinderella bought her glass slippers from SM, I wanted badly to be Cinderella. The experience was magical to the impressionable little girl that I was. 

It was so many years ago, and from that first taste of Shoe Mart, we were hooked. From then on, we kept going back until it was called SM. SM has become a way of life for me, my family and friends. We followed wherever SM went.

Coming from Laguna, it was always part of an excursion, a field trip. When there was no SLEX yet, going to Shoe Mart Makati took three long hours, depending on traffic. Worse, we did not own a car so we had to take the public bus. If not for Christmas or a town fiesta, shopping in SM was done as part of the itinerary during educational tours. Yes, we learned a lot from SM, especially when it diversified and sold more than shoes. We learned that shopping can be delightful in this all-in-one store. We found the latest trends in clothes, toys, accessories and shoes, and more shoes at SM.

As time went by, SLEX was constructed and so travel time to SM became shorter. Next was C-5. Going to SM Megamall became easier. With the bigger space came more stores to choose from. And more activities and memories to store.

Megamall was where my best friend saw my then boyfriend with another girl inside a noodle store. I believed my friend because I knew that noodles were my boyfriend’s favorite. A breakup with my boyfriend followed. There was an admirer whom I met at Megamall and I got Chocnuts for a treat. I was so touched by the unpretentiousness, but soon found out that the guy was bankrupt. Even his heart was. Thus, an imported brand of chocolate was out of the question. And so was an impending affair.

During times of alone-ness and loneliness, my friends, sister or cousins meet at SM to console each other. And so over lunch in any of the many restaurants at SM, they let their heartaches out, shred the boyfriends to pieces, and eat to their hearts’ content.

As I went through life, SM was never far away. My daughters also grew up shopping at SM. My second daughter Trina worked in the Bicutan area for a time; I would fetch her on weekends at SM Bicutan and we would bond in the hair-straightening and facial-care centers. She later worked in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and so my eldest daughter Tisa, together with her kids, would go to SM Dasmariñas to fetch Trina. Retail therapy was always helpful in de-stressing and taking away the boredom.

Four generations of my family have had the chance to visit other SM branches in Cubao, Manila, Sucat, Lucena, Baguio, Cebu, Sta. Rosa and SM Mall of Asia to de-stress.

My husband and I always spend time in MOA before he goes out of the country. He takes the late flight out, so we have time to have lunch and go around MOA for his last-minute shopping. Whenever he comes home, we go back to SM to replenish his needs. SM has everything and is functional for husbands who don’t like to go bargain hunting and would rather go straight to shopping.

Nowadays, Tisa and I regularly go to Megamall. My son-in-law has a consultancy in the area so we wait for him in the mall. We watch a movie, go bargain hunting, window shop or just hang around to rest our tired feet on the benches scattered around the mall. In the meantime, we are enjoying our Mega-experience, at once magical and functional, surreal but real.

Without question, SM is easily the best chain of malls in Asia.