Our Story at a Glance
SM’s story is an extraordinary story of one man with a simple dream, to sell a good pair of shoes to every Filipino.
In the late 1950’s, our founder, Henry Sy started his first company, ShoeMart, a small shoe store in Downtown Manila. Fueled with the passion to serve his customers better every day, he found different ways to provide excellent customer experience, anticipating their needs and innovating retail so that every Filipino can enjoy the SM experience.
Having a deep understanding of teamwork, Henry Sy worked and grew alongside his suppliers, looked after his employees and helped the communities he served. Through the years, we continued to build on these aspirations as SM fulfills its role in building sustainable businesses that are catalysts for responsible development in the communities we serve.
After 6 decades, Henry Sy’s values are upheld by the second and third generations of the Sy Family, working alongside thousands of employees with a shared sense of purpose, committed to improving the quality of life of the communities we serve and constantly finding ways to provide opportunities for growth.
Today, SM become the country’s largest conglomerate, touching the lives of millions of Filipinos and creating shared value for all that we serve.
“In good times, I do my usual work. But in bad times, I work harder.”
Tatang Henry Sy
SM Founder
Our Vision
It is our vision to build an ecosystem of sustainable businesses that are catalysts for responsible development in the communities we serve.
We are committed to partner with our host communities to provide a consistently high standard of service to our customers, look after the welfare of our employees and deliver sustainable returns to our shareholders, at all times upholding the highest standards of corporate governance and environmental stewardship in all our businesses.
Our Commitment to Our Customers
Serving customers has been at the heart of our business for 65 years. At SM, we are proud to have grown from a single shoe store to where we are today. Millions of Filipinos count on us daily and we look forward to serving more as we continue to expand across the nation.
Our success is based on understanding our customers’ wishes and then meeting their every expectation. SM’s many stores, wide range of products and dedicated staff all strive to live up to this standard.
In fulfilling our customers’ needs, we improve lives. In turn, we ourselves grow and improve the way we do our businesses.
We never take our customers’ loyalty lightly. Instead, we do everything we can to earn it.
What We Stand For
When we work together as one SM team, we provide the best possible experiences for our customers.
Drive and Enthusiasm
We show up, we get things done, and we make it happen.
Leadership
We always consider the wider good we’re here to make things better.
Integrity
We do the right thing even if no one is looking.
Teamwork
We work as a team guided by family values.
Entrepreneurship
We find the places there’s a problem to be solved – and seize the opportunity.
We continue to focus on empowering the lives of our millions of Filipino customers, creating growth and enabling responsible development nationwide. We are committed to environmental responsibility and to our efforts to tackle climate change.
Our Value Creation
We are clear and focused about how our businesses work together and create value for all our stakeholders.
As a business
We firmly believe that our own long-term business growth is anchored on the shared value we create and how we help protect and sustain all parts of the SM ecosystem. We continue to evolve to meet new customer expectations across our businesses, nurturing the spirit of continuous improvement and innovation.
As an employer
We strive to make our businesses a great place to work in. We provide opportunities for career growth, meaningful work experiences and a safe and healthy working environment. We espouse dignity of labor, equal opportunity, gender equality and diversity.
As a responsible company
We take part in creating a more equitable society and in protecting our only home, our planet. We are mindful of the impact our businesses have on the environment and constantly find solutions that have immediate and long-term benefits in mitigating climate issues.
Awards and Recognition
Great Place to Work® Certified 2025
TIME Magazine and Statista World's Best Companies
