Adapt to the local culture

ON A LONG bus trip to Dagupan, Pangasinan from Manila last weekend, my friend and I noted how SM malls differ from one place to another. The new SM North EDSA Annex, which now makes SM City North EDSA the world’s third largest shopping mall complex, has six new floors and a basement. Going farther north, we see SM City Pampanga in San Fernando occupying 31.6 hectares. It’s a very long two-storey mall, with open parking at ground level. The newly opened SM City Rosales in Pangasinan looks smaller than SM City Pampanga, but it’s likewise a two-storey mall at most, with open parking at ground level. My friend tells me that it’s the same for SM City Clark, and from photos at the SM Prime Holdings website, the case too with SM City Marilao in Bulacan. She tells me that Kapampangans do not like going up to higher floors. She would know, since she is also a Kapampangan. My guess is that the same is true of Bulakenos and Pangasinense, since they all live on the plains and may not like heights. That is why the SM City in these areas aren’t like Megamall (at five floors plus a basement) or North EDSA. SM did a good job in taking this attribute to account in planning their malls north of Manila. Their expansion is horizontal in these areas, not vertical. SM City Baguio is an exception. Since the people here are used to the high altitude, they don't mind going up a few more floors to shop and look around. In business, one must adapt to the local culture. Know your customer well.