THE SM Group and Unilever Philippines Inc. are jointly going into the mall-based integrated retail concept geared for a specific market.

The country’s largest mall operator is investing Pl00 million on a 2,640-square meter space within the Mall of Asia for a kid-friendly attraction, Selecta Kids Universe.

Steven Tan, assistant vice president of Shopping Center Management Corp., told reporters during the launch that SM and Unilever had a three-year sponsorship agreement that would enable the Dutch company, maker of Selecta, to do merchandising and have naming rights for the mall’s newest attraction.

‘The Selecta Kids Universe taps a wide market from toddlers to pre-teens. Apart from Selecta ice cream merchandise, we have two kiddie attractions, a pre-school, a restaurant and a host of retailers catering to children’s needs. For less than P500 per child, a kid gets to enjoy all the attractions and the ice cream,’ said Tan.

He said Selecta Kids Universe was a pilot project for both parties and exclusive to SM. The concept will be duplicated in other big-format SM malls such as North Edsa, Megamall, Cebu and Pampanga. He said Selecta Kids would not be competing with Science Discovery Museum, another attraction in the mall. While the museum is purely educational and geared toward grade school pupils, the new attraction is more on fun and entertainment.

Tan said ‘Selecta is always for family kids and bonding, which is the same for SM.’