Shopping malls are liquid TVs for the end of the twentieth century. A whole micro-circuitry of desire, ideology and expenditure for processed bodies drifting through the cyber-space of ultracapitalism. Arthur Kroker
There is no question that Filipinos have a love affair with their shopping malls.
These shopping meccas and cathedrals of consumerism are often packed with people—regardless of whether it is a holiday or not. They get particularly full during the weekends and most especially on Sundays which in Filipino culture is a day designated for the family. Indeed, every capital city in the Philippines is littered with shopping malls that in most progressive cities, you can find one in almost every nook and cranny. Indeed, the Philippines would be a fine place to live in should you want a variety of malls just within your proximity.
However, malls in the Philippines are not just destinations for shopping but rather lifestyle destinations as well. Malls such as Trinoma, Glorietta and the like offer lifestyle options to its shoppers and is considered so much more than a mall in more ways than one. So, what makes these erections so popular among Filipinos apart from being shopping destinations? Well, take a gander at the list below to find out why:
1. Filipinos want to take a breather
While this could mean taking a literal breath of fresh air, it also means figuratively that Filipinos just wish to relax. Most shopping malls are located in proximity to offices—some of them even are even located within office building themselves which would give Filipinos an ease of access if they wish to shop or relax and unwind. It is no question that Filipinos get stressed from work as well which is why enjoying a stroll in the mall after work is an enjoyable prospect they look forward to.
2. It is a one-stop entertainment shop
One popular reason why Filipinos have a unique affinity with their malls is the fact that you can find almost everything in it. It is one destination for all of your needs—whether you are grocery shopping, looking to dine out, watch a movie or even ice-skate with your kids, all of these are possible at the mall.
In this time and day where traffic onslaughts can get particularly bad, it is important for Filipinos to have one place where they can find everything and do anything as they please. In this way, they would not only be saving time but gas mileage as well.
3. Free Wifi
Being named as the third top social media user, it would be no question that Filipinos love going and staying on the internet. For this reason, they love to mill around in malls browsing shops as well as accessing their social media feeds and pages if they either have poor connection or no connection at all in their homes. Today, as a marketing ploy to draw in more customers, shopping malls have offered free Wifi to their patrons which they can use up to one hour.
Some malls would even offer you free Wifi all day, but the connection would be a little clunky as is expected with anything that is communally shared by a lot of people. Similarly, coffee shops have started offering Wifi passwords to their patrons as well in an effort to make them favor their shop as compared to the others.
4. Free air conditioning
As the Philippines becomes unbearably hot during the summer, Filipinos would have to find ways to stay cool under the scorching sun. This would either translate to a day to the mall or at the beach. As the mall is a lot more accessible to most, they would choose to cool off the summer breeze with the malls free air-conditioning instead of spending hours on the road just to get to the beach.
