PH advisory on holiday sales seen as ‘advantageous’ to retailers

Customers linger longer in malls to avoid traffic.

With worsening holiday traffic in Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has advised malls to skip weekday sales or provide a two-week notice to ease road congestion. Ayala Malls, however, sees the advisory as a boost for business as customers opt to spend more time in malls to avoid the traffic.

“If anything, the MMDA recommendations are actually advantageous for us as customers choose to linger in our malls to avoid the weekday traffic, and whilst they're here, they enjoy a bit of retail therapy, or they grab a bite to eat with their friends,” said Paul Birkett, Chief Operating Officer, Ayala Malls.

Birkett emphasised that this shift aligns with long-standing customer behavior observed during the holiday season. Despite adjustments to mall hours and sales schedules, shoppers continue to flock to malls for Christmas shopping and holiday gatherings.

“Even with the adjustments in mall schedules, consumers are still going to flock to malls for their Christmas shopping and their holiday get-togethers,” Birkett said. “We've also observed that our guests are happy to wait out holiday traffic jams during weekdays within the comfort of our malls.”

This increased dwell time has proven beneficial for both retailers and dining establishments, as shoppers take the opportunity to browse stores, purchase items, or enjoy meals while waiting for traffic to ease.

To maximise this advantage, Ayala Malls is working closely with retailers to enhance customer experience. “Retailers are already stepping up their staffing levels, ensuring the right amount of staff are present at the right time, so avoiding lines at the registers and making sure that there's enough people there to help out customers,” Birkett noted.

He added that retailers are also ensuring product availability to meet the holiday demand. “You can't sell fresh air. So retailers are really good at ensuring stock predictions, product availability, and really creating the right demand for key selling items through active marketing and social media,” Birkett said.

Beyond retail strategies, Ayala Malls has prioritized traffic management to ensure smooth access to its properties. “We need to make their journeys as stress-free as possible, and to do that, we focus on implementing enhanced traffic planning, coordination and collaboration with local authorities, and we monitor traffic patterns,” Birkett explained.