NOTES ON THE BEAT | Why Shopping At SM Ain’t ‘Fun’ For Tessie Sy-Coson

Her family owns them, but tycoon Teresita Sy-Coson admits she cannot comfortably shop at SM malls.

“I don’t enjoy shopping in our own malls because there are so many people, you know, looking at what I’m doing,” Sy-Coson, SM Investments Corp. vice chairperson, said.

“It takes the fun away,” she added.

Speaking at the 32nd National Retail Conference and Expo held in Pasay City on Friday, Aug. 7, the eldest child of the late retail taipan Henry Sy Sr. said she enjoys doing her shopping abroad instead.

“In other countries, I have more freedom to go around. Nobody’s watching. And yes, I can be in the ugliest clothes, and nobody minds me,” Sy-Coson said.

“I would be in my home attire. I don’t have to put on makeup. I just go around and it’s fun. It’s fun to be able to do things that you like to do without people watching,” she added.

Still, Sy-Coson said she does buy things from their own store through SM’s personalized service.

“But what I do is I will ask them to shop for me. That is the start of the personal shoppers in the store, because that is the way I shop. And so I thought that maybe other customers will also like to do the way I shop, in which I call them or text them, tell them what I need, tell them to give me the photo, and that’s where I make my decisions to buy. So I do shop in our store,” she said.

With more than 800 personal shoppers nationwide, SM Store’s Personal Shopper service provides convenience and delivery as early as same day.

The Sy family owns and operates the largest chain of shopping centers in the country, with 90 SM malls nationwide.

SM’s retail operations are also the country’s largest and most diversified, consisting of grocery stores, department stores and specialty retail stores.

“I was born into a retail family. I had no choice. I just have to go into it on and on. So that is my life,” said Sy-Coson, who started working in the family business at the age of 13.

“As you know, we started as a family business. So in family business, all the children are expected to help out one way or another, or else you feel guilty. So we had to help out after school or in weekends. We don’t go out with friends on weekends. We just have to help out because this is the one that that puts food on the table for the family,” she said.

Sy-Coson said it took a lot of time and perseverance to get SM where it is today in terms of size.

“We’re still trying very hard every day, but I have to say that we have good teams in many areas. We have team in the mall. We have other people in the retail and also in all the other areas. What is important is to have good team, and you just guide the team, and of course you have to listen to them because you can never always have the right answer. Having a good team helps a lot,” she said.

Sy-Coson said the retail industry will continue to evolve, noting that what is good at this time may not be applicable in the future.

“Of course, the basic values of hard work, perseverance and integrity will always be there. But I cannot imagine how things will be in the future so I dare not forecast,” she said.