SM has expanded to a network of 53 stores, from that first complete department store-then known as Shoemart established on Echague in 1972.
 
SM vice chair Teresita Sy-Coson, Henry’s eldest child who helped her father build the retail business, says “the world is changing so fast. What drives retail is that we always have to
move forward.”
 
The longevity of Sy’s retail business is founded on a culture of innovation and an understanding that sustained growth means staying ahead in a rapidly changing market.
 
The SM Store was one of the pioneers in the new urban centers in Makati and Cubao and later on, in key cities around the country as a major anchor in SM Supermalls. It was one of the first stores to showcase the clothes of Filipino fashion designers, playing a big role in spearheading local ready to-wear fashion. It is also redefining the shopping experience today
with new brands and modern concepts to bring world-class shopping closer to Filipinos all over the country.
 
“Tatang (as Sy is fondly called) was really a trendsetter in many ways,” SM Store President Chelo Monasterio says, as Sy always wanted to bring the ideas he had learned and the merchandise he had seen from his travels in other countries to the Philippines.
 
Sy notched many firsts in product mix and systems of operation, including a unique way of delivering shoes to waiting customers, using available teclmology and an inventive combination of codes and body language. That system has since been replaced with more sophisticated systems.

Store design has also transformed, from the boxy interior and standard display modules. NewYork’s Point Design did the the three-level SM Aura store in Taguig, representing the next generation of stores. Using the “less is more” approach, the new stores emphasize lighting and art instead of the previous colorful graphics, creative ceiling and wall treatments.
 
Innovating space, the SM Store also highlighted every merchandise and emphasized individual and collective glamor and luxury. A fresh upmarket vibe was also added to key elements of the store such as the entrance, atrium and cash counters.
 
While styles have come and gone even for the iconic sales ladies of SM donning their crisp blue and white uniforms, the passion to serve remains the priority.
 
“Tatang was very particular with the kind of service we all delivered. He made sure we always took care of the people,” Monasterio shares.
 
Offering services beyond shopping, it pioneered the business center concept where customers can avail themselves of remittance, bills payment and government services, as well as show tickets. SM’s Rewards Program through the SM Advantage and Prestige Cards has millions of members.
 
With the entry of new technology, the SM Store is gearing up to bring even more shopping experiences closer to Filipinos.
 
And it seeks to continue to be part of the lives of millions of Filipinos, with new store innovations and renovations in existing stores, merchandise selections and service to cater to the changing needs of its customers.