Village Connect
At SM, shopping has long meant more than filling carts—it’s about filling lives with hope. Through the power of its vast ecosystem, the SM Group works hand in hand with customers and partners to uplift communities across the country. One of its flagship initiatives, Shop & Share, led by the SM Store, has made a tangible difference: nearly 90,000 students, farmers, women, and children have received carefully chosen retail items that match their specific needs.
What began as a campaign rooted in SM’s origin story of selling shoes has since grown to address deeper issues in education, livelihood, and health. Over the years, Shop & Share has distributed 31,000 new pairs of shoes, 11,000 educational toys, 1,200 agricultural tools, and 5,000 hygiene kits to underserved communities nationwide.
As the new school year approaches, the program is set to deliver 15,400 back-to-school kits to students in over 70 public schools, maximizing the nationwide reach of 77 SM Store branches. According to SM Retail, Inc. President Jonathan H. Ng, this initiative embodies the Filipino spirit of bayanihan—bringing together compassion and community. “Shop & Share turns everyday shopping into an act of purposeful giving, connecting our customers’ generosity to communities that need it most,” Ng shared.
The program thrives through partnerships within the SM ecosystem: SM Stationery supports the back-to-school drive; SM Fashion fuels the Share Shoes project; Toy Express from Toy Kingdom backs Share a Toy; and this year, SM Beauty is set to distribute family essential kits. Last December, Shop & Share worked with Toy Kingdom, World Vision Philippines, Good Neighbors Philippines, and the Rotary Club to deliver 6,000 educational toys to SPED schools and typhoon-hit areas.
Shop & Share has also ventured into digital education. In partnership with Mastercard, the program launched four digital learning hubs equipped with 19 computers each in SM Foundation partner schools—impacting nearly 10,000 students and teachers and improving digital literacy.
Beyond Shop & Share, SM’s commitment extends to its loyalty program, SMAC, which joined forces with Globe’s Hapag Movement in 2022 to fight hunger and support livelihood initiatives—again with the help of customers and various SM Retail brands.
Together, these efforts reflect SM’s belief that business success is best shared. As Mr. Ng puts it, “As SM Store grows, we aim to grow alongside our communities, investing not just in stores but in the next generation of Filipinos.” Across education, health, and livelihood, SM continues to turn everyday shopping into everyday acts of kindness—making a difference, one community at a time.
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