Simply Shoes step back in time for Henry Sy

Mall billionaire Henry Sy is returning to his roots with a new warehouse-style shoe shop for budget shoppers, Simply Shoes.

Customers pick out sneakers, sandals and heels from the plain displays that are piled up to the ceiling, as they would in supermarkets and outlet shops.

Tapping into a middle class that is growing more affluent, Simply Shoes is also a tribute to Sy’s beginnings at the original Shoe Mart in downtown Manila’s Carriedo, the seed of his mall empire, says SM Retail senior VP for shoes and bags Eugene Saw.

“He got busy with other businesses, but his true love, his true passion is the shoe business, so it’s really going back to the roots,” Saw says.

“As we grow big, we also want to stay true to ourselves. In fact, that’s one of Mr Sy’s dreams. He said years ago that he wanted to sell a pair of shoes to every Filipino, so it’s part of accomplishing his mission.”

Two more branches of Simply Shoes are opening this week to join 29 branches, mostly in emerging cities.

SM has 63 malls in the Philippines and seven in China, where Sy was born.