HOLIDAY SHOPPING, GIFT-GIVING, AND RE-GIFTING

I have a confession to make: I'm more of a browser than a shopper.

- RICARDO T. PAMINTUAN

Specifically, I'm a typical male shopper/browser. If I actually need something—clothes and accessories, groceries, or a particular gift for someone I know well—I plant it in my head or write a note, go to a specific shop, select the item, pay, and leave. Fast. Efficient. Very macho, indeed. The rest of the day is free for browsing.

Because of this, I'm a big fan of malls. Growing up in Manila, I've seen how they evolved from single-building department stores — like the OG SM (a true shoe mart in Carriedo), Ali Mall, Good Earth Emporium (the candy carousel and rooftop Ferris wheel were prime attractions), and the old Glorietta— to today's multilayered shopping complexes and superstores.

Even as e-commerce has fundamentally changed the retail landscape, forcing many to shop online, brick-and-mortar malls are adapting, transforming from purely transactional spaces into experiential and social hubs. The supermalls now cover vastly more acreage and offer endless food choices. It's a marketing strategy that's sneakily vulgar: let the customers walk and browse themselves to death until they seek refuge and sustenance.

Yet our love affair with malls is entirely understandable. There's a genuine, simple joy in the hunt. During the holidays, there's a palpable buzz the moment you step into any of these meccas, including wholesale stores like S&R and Landers.

Over-the-top décor is complemented by Christmas tunes, both competing with the din of humanity — and, often, its odor. Literally bumping into someone you know can be a real treat—a friend or relative, for instance — or a threat, a source of major awkwardness or embarrassment if it's an ex or a debtor.

Our main goal during this season, of course, is to shop for gifts.