"Our task was to provide order," Steven Tan recalls his SM Supermall stint amid COVID-19

SM Supermalls was able to give people access to basic goods such as groceries and medicines amid the height of the deadly COVID-19. Steven Tan shares to Tatler more about it

The lockdown that transpired amid the peak of COVID-19 caused quite a stir in our local markets. Coincidentally, it was the time when SM Supermalls president Steven Tan embraced his role for the first time. Although the timing was not considered fortunate, his willingness to adjust and shift trends helped the company loom large in consumers' collective consciousness.

In case you missed it: The Philippines' Largest Mall Chain SM Supermalls Appoints Steven Tan As Its New President

In this article, Tan tells Tatler about his experiences and how SM survived such a tough time:

What are your projects in the last two years that you are most proud of? Why?

Steven Tan (ST): I was appointed president of SM Supermalls in early 2020. By March of the same year, the country went on full lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My tenure couldn’t have started in direr circumstances. Nothing prepared me for such an unprecedented time. I am proudest of the fact that I was able to steer SM Supermalls with steady hands during its most challenging period of lockdowns and restrictions. I recall pausing to pray for strength and guidance, and then hunkering down to business.

It was a very tough, uncertain period, no predicting what each day would bring. Our task first and foremost was to provide order and give people access to basic goods such as groceries and medicines. So we kept the malls open for essential services, at the same time ensuring our key front liners were safe and cared for. We put up Viber communities to communicate operating hours, safe curbside pick-up and personal shopping assistance to our elderly, PWD customers.

Related: Rakuten Viber Helps Small Businesses Through Pinoy Dream Negosyo

ST: Apart from our very own SM Malls Online, we partnered with various third-party applications to allow for curbside pick-up and delivery of goods. And when getting these to people in far-flung areas proved to be more difficult, we partnered with the displaced jeepney and tricycle drivers to augment delivery logistics. We provided assistance to various groups to help ensure business continuity: from providing venues for farmers to sell their produce in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, to close communication with Resto PH – advocating for a safe F&B operational environment and rental assistance to restaurateurs.

Above (Photo: Uriel Mont/Pexels)

(Photo: Uriel Mont/Pexels)

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ST: Together with the SM team, we worked on achieving business continuity for all stakeholders and maintaining a fine balance of revenue and retention. Our strategy was to manage the bottom line, at the same time while empowering our tenant partners to hold steady amidst a challenging business scenario.

And while there is the business imperative, we also made sure to provide strong support to the Philippine recovery agenda by offering our malls as vaccination sites to the local government units (LGU). With our nationwide scale, SM Supermalls was able to boost vaccinations considerably, easily past the 10 million jabs mark.

ST: I am happy to share that we have weathered the worst of the storm and are now on the road to recovery. Visitation is back, our tenant partners are reporting growth, we have met our revenue targets and will close 2022 on a high note. I couldn’t have made it through without the sheer willpower, resilience and tenacity of the men and women of SM. For this, I am most thankful.

What challenges do you see now in your respective industry? How do you intend to help address these challenges?

ST: It is no secret that the retail and malling industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic. The pandemic gave birth to new consumer habits and behaviour: one that leaned towards ease, convenience and experience. SM Supermalls was working on a digital platform and the pandemic really accelerated its development and adoption. To date, SM Malls Online is fully integrated with SM Store, SM Markets, and over 2,500 mall stores and restaurants. It serves hundreds of thousands of subscribers nationwide. We continue to advance this digital side of the business, to fully complement our mall brick-and-mortar developments.

Apart from digitalization, customers have now come to expect 'Experiential Malling'. At no time is it truer to say that SM Supermalls is shifting its focus to become not just Shopping Centres, but also Experience Centers. Our cinemas are back in full force, and we have fired up and expanded our leisure components, including the signature Olympic-size ice skating rinks, bowling centres, and now, gameplay areas. Once completed, the Mall of Asia redevelopment will feature a FIFA-grade football field. Our marketing activations are also fully entrenched with event showcases that encourage interaction and experience.

Above (Photo: SM Supermalls)

(Photo: SM Supermalls)

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What can you say to those who’d like to follow in your footsteps?

ST: Working in hyperactive industries like retail and malling is never a walk in the park. Working in SM Supermalls is akin to walking on the moon. Every time we walk, step, or jump, we have to act against the force of gravity that is constantly pulling us toward Earth, or in this case – the familiar backdrop, versus the onus of constant change. An open mind, a curious one, agile and ready to evolve; is a starting point if you want to go into retail and malling. A strong heart, ready to weather extremes, is also another pre-requisite. Oh, and a sense of humour and a penchant for fun. After all, if you have to do the work 70 per cent of your waking hours, then make it fun and worth it.

Who do you look up to for guidance, inspiration or mentorship?

ST: A couple of days after the lockdowns were enforced, Mr Hans T Sy convened a small group to discuss the next steps. He only wanted to discuss three key items in the following order:
1. What do with our outsourced personnel (this included security guards and cleaners)
2. What to do with the employees, and
3. How to work with our tenant partners.

For our outsourced personnel, he directed that they be given additional compensation in cash, to tide them over the lockdown period, in weekly tranches. For the employees, there will be no cessation of compensation throughout the period. And for our tenant partners, a freeze on rental and utility payments, until the business stabilises. I was so inspired by this and recall leaving the meeting in high spirits, energised and more confident than I felt when I first walked into the room. Here was a brilliant man who was both selfless and strategic. He showed that one can run a business with equal parts acumen and heart. And for this and many more, I am most honoured to have Mr Hans T Sy as my mentor. I am grateful for his guidance and the inspiration he brings to the work, and to my life.

Tessie Sy Coson and Henry Sy Jr also play a major influence in my life. By championing humanitarian assistance side by side with business goals–they have shown me that there are many ways to profit. Helping uplift people’s lives is the greatest of all.

What are your plans for the coming years and what keeps you going?

ST: Change keeps me going. You can fear change or confront it as an opportunity, and I always will choose the latter. The pandemic has not beaten us. Rather it has made us wiser, stronger, and better. There are so many plans for SM Supermalls in the coming years. In the immediate term: we are opening new malls and redeveloping our existing ones to drive the path towards experience centres. Our core is always to serve Filipinos, uplift the quality of life and make our customers happy through mall innovations and expansions nationwide.

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