Best Malls to Shop in the Philippines

Best Philippine Malls to Visit

You may wonder, “Why do we love shopping so much?” Besides the bare basics, we go to great lengths to get items we don’t really need. As for why we like shopping so much, these are some of the reasons why:

There’s such a thing as retail therapy, and it exists! It gives us a sense of well-being. Dopamine, the “feel-good hormone,” is released in our bodies when we shop. Other researchers have shown that shopping might lift a person’s spirits. This is because it gives them back some sense of control over their lives. 

Comparison shopping is another way that purchasing helps us feel happy. We note what our neighbors and the rest of society are purchasing, wearing, and consuming, as well as their respective living levels. When we measure our lives against those around us, we often spend money we don’t have on things we don’t really need. The driving force behind this purchase is the desire for a higher quality of life. It is also the feeling of connection to the society we live in.

The commercials we see every day are the source of this. When we buy the offered goods, they promise they will have a positive impact on our lives. According to some estimates, we are exposed to 5,000 commercials every day. As a result, we’re bombarded with this message daily in various mediums, including television, cell phones, billboards, and the like. Seeing is believing, and as a result, we make the purchase.

It’s in this context that social media and influencers come into play. Many social media users aspire to the lifestyle of influencers. With the items these celebrities promote, we want to have a life like theirs one day. This is why companies spend millions of dollars dealing with social media influencers and influencers.

These include cosmetics, hair restoration cures, and weight-loss products, all of which have a specific purpose. Transformation of the physical self is the promise of these items. Additionally, breath mints and fashionable attire could help boost a customer’s sense of self-worth. Things that simplify our lives (like a new computer or a GPS system for the automobile) and products that enhance our enjoyment of life (like books, music, or recreational equipment) fall into this category.

This is due to their thrill and exhilaration before making the investment, yet the item’s acquisition failed to meet their expectations.

Shopping malls serve a practical function, but in the Philippines, they also serve a cultural one. In addition to a wide selection of goods, malls offer their own distinct traits. Malls in the Philippines are ideal places for festivities, after-work errands, and even marriage proposals. They range from those with views to those with themed parks. 

Let’s take a peek at the Top 5 Best Philippine Malls.

SM Mall of Asia

The mall is also known as SM MOA. It offers a large open space where patrons can take in Manila Bay’s pure sea air. There are also some of Manila’s most spectacular sunsets and pyro-musical events to be found there. This ship-shaped MOA Philippines mall may be found if looking closer. As of 2006, the Philippines’ biggest shopping mall, SM Mall of Asia (SM MOA), was the largest in the country. However, it was overtaken in 2008 by SM City North EDSA after a refurbishment. When Ikea Philippines opened at SM MOA in 2021, the shopping center regained its title as the country’s biggest once again. This mall stands out with a two-story entertainment complex, much of which faces Manila Bay. Also, the San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theater, one of the world’s largest IMAX screens, is located here.

When the SM City North EDSA opened in 1985, months before the EDSA Revolution, the Philippines was amidst a tumultuous chapter in its history. Until SM Mall of Asia was added to accommodate Ikea, it was the country’s biggest retail mall. SM City North EDSA is now the country’s second-largest mall and one of the world’s top 15 shopping destinations.

Since its inception, the Philippines’ first SM Supermall has undergone a series of expansions and upgrades to accommodate extra parking, retail, office & service spaces, restaurants, and entertainment attractions, including a bowling alley and a gaming arcade. Several smaller structures and towers connect to the City Center through walkways, including Interior Zone, the Annex, the Block, the Sky Garden, and the Northlink and North Towers.

There were just two major buildings in the past, but currently, there are five. One of them is the Mega Fashion Hall, which houses most of the high-end shops and eateries. SM Megamall also contains a bowling alley, ice skating rink, and a movie theater called the Director’s Club. Its central location in Manila makes it one of the finest malls in the city since it is easily accessible from the north, the south, and the east.

Philippine mall SM Seaside City Cebu ranks 3rd in the country and fourteenth worldwide in retail space. It’s a ring-shaped edifice with a view of the water. Along with four ordinary cinemas, the mall’s 2015 opening included three theaters: a Centerstage, a Large Screen, and two Director’s Clubs. The SM Bowling and Amusement Center has 18 lanes, and the Olympic-sized ice skating rink is also available to guests.

Shortly, the SMX Convention Center Cebu and Seaside Tower, an observation deck with a 360-degree view of Cebu City, will open at the mall. The SM Store, SM Supermarket, a Centerstage theater, a Large Screen format cinema, two Director’s Club cinemas, and four regular cinemas are just some of the anchorages in this spherical shopping mall. There’s also an Olympic-sized ice skating rink across the food court and an 18-lane SM Bowling and Amusement Center. When you’re in Cebu City, check out SM Seaside City Cebu, one of the city’s many shopping centers.

Just a few blocks from Taguig, Manila, there’s a mall that looks like Venice—Venice Grand Canal Mall. Because of its distinctive architectural style and reputation as “Philippines’ most romantic mall,” Venice Grand Canal was named Best Retail Architectural Design at the 2017 Philippine Property Awards. The Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, is the inspiration for the mall’s Italian-inspired architectural architecture. As a result of Megaworld’s collaboration with Rome-based Paolo Marioni Architetto on the project, the Venice Grand Canal Mall maintains a distinctly Venetian aesthetic.

The mall’s man-made Grand Canal is a major draw. The mall’s great canal has gondola rides led by singing gondoliers, allowing visitors to have a taste of Italian culture. At 200 meters (660 feet) long, the canal has a width of 15 meters (49 feet). The gondolas are docked under a facsimile of Venice’s Rialto Bridge. Visitors may engage in the mall’s love locks installation on the Ponte de Amore Bridge, modeled after Venice’s famed Rialto Bridge, and see a reproduction of Piazza San Marco’s St. Mark’s Campanile there as well.

In one location, the very finest of Atlanta’s Queen City of the South retail, dining, and entertainment opportunities at Ayala Center Cebu is unmatched in the region. A multi-level eating and entertainment area, The Terraces has an expansive manicured park, lush flora, and water segments. An impressive 245,000 square miles of shop space is housed in the magnificently manicured Ayala Center Cebu, the Philippines’ 10th largest mall. Located in the center of the Cebu Business Park Complex, the mall has a daily traffic volume of over 100,000 people. Shopping, eating, and entertainment are all conveniently located at Ayala Center Cebu. As far as we know, this is the first Ayala mall outside of Manila. As many as 85,000 people visit Ayala Center Cebu every day, rising to more than 135,000 on the weekends. The Cebu Business Park Complex’s centerpiece is this building.