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Bloomberg
The Philippines’ richest man Henry Sy will start rolling out robots next year to help customers navigate his massive shopping malls.
Initially three androids will be deployed in the first quarter of 2019 in SM Megamall, the nation’s second-biggest shopping centre, said Steven Tan, chief operating officer for the shopping malls of SM Prime Holdings Inc. The talking bots will provide mall directions and information on promotions and events, Tan said.
Megamall, among the biggest in Southeast Asia, spans 477,000 square metres (5.1 million square feet) or an area equivalent to about 89 football fields, and serves about 277,000 people every day, according to data from SM.
If the pilot is successful, the group will bring the robots to its biggest shopping center SM North Edsa and other major malls, Tan said.