PASAY CITY, Philippines, Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As SM celebrates its 65^th year in business, one may reflect on the many life lessons of Henry Sy Sr. This particular insight comes to mind, "It's important that I never lose touch with the pulse of my shoppers," he said, highlighting SM's distinct culture of customer service.

Five companies from the SM Group are recognized as having the Best Customer Service in the Philippines conferred by local broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista, a Germany-based data and business intelligence portal.

"Our communities are at the heart of everything that we do here at SM," said Frederic C. DyBuncio, SM Investments President and Chief Executive Officer. "It's not about making quick transactions, rather it's a commitment to creating equal opportunities for all our customers."

The recognition cites five SM companies which ranked first in their respective categories.

In the Home Goods category, the SM Store secured the top position in the Department Store rankings, while SM Retail affiliate Toy Kingdom placed first in the Toys category.

BDO Unibank Inc., (BDO), SM Markets and SM Cinema clinched the top spots in the categories of Insurance, Supermarkets, and Movie Theaters, respectively.

As the most-awarded company in the inaugural list, SM's core business of retail pays homage to Mr. Sy or 'Tatang' as those close to him fondly call him, remembering his 'win-win' philosophy.

In a past interview with Australian author Peter Church, Mr. Sy remarked on the importance of the common good in whatever one does.

"I believe the SM Store and SM Supermalls will succeed if the quality and prices are right for the consumers and the conditions are similarly fair for the employees," he said.

Mr. Sy's life lessons still echo across the SM Group. From holding company SM Investments Corporation to all of its core businesses in retail, banking, and property, these lessons are still passed along from one generation to the next.

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is a leading Philippine company that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

SM's retail operations are the country's largest and most diversified with its food, non-food, and specialty retail stores. SM's property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM's interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country's largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the fourth largest bank by total assets among private banks. 

For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com