SM Retail says its stores serve as marketplaces for suppliers and do not design or manufacture the products sold on their shelves.
SM Retail has issued a statement following accusations from local bag brand Carry Om that designs similar to two of its products were being sold at SM Store branches.
In its statement, SM Retail stressed that SM Store operates as a marketplace rather than a product manufacturer or designer.
“SM Store is a marketplace. We don’t create designs nor manufacture products to sell,” the company said.
“We are a platform for many suppliers to reach our customers. We scout the market to choose the latest products and items that are current and trendy at a price range that’s accessible and attractive to our customers,” it added.
The statement comes after Carry Om founders Viktoria Salazar and Dhanvan Saulo posted a video on September 24 accusing SM Store of selling bags that allegedly copied two Carry Om designs.
The couple showed two bags they said were purchased from SM Store. One allegedly resembled Carry Om’s Garuda tote bag in an orange-and-gray colorway, while another was compared with the brand’s Ganga hybrid backpack in maroon and tan.
Carry Om said customers had alerted the company after spotting the bags at SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati, and SM Megamall earlier this month.
The upcycling brand produces colorful bags in limited quantities using surplus fabrics, including materials associated with Khumbmela, the 1970s brand pioneered by Saulo’s father, Yadu Saulo. Carry Om also employs former Khumbmela workers, many of whom are now senior citizens.
Salazar and Saulo further claimed that SM representatives had repeatedly approached Carry Om about joining its retail network, offers that the company declined. In their video, they displayed screenshots of purported email exchanges, including proposals for Carry Om counters at several SM properties.
Carry Om also appeared to have sent a cease-and-desist notice concerning the disputed designs.
SM Retail did not directly address Carry Om’s specific allegations of design copying in the statement provided. Instead, it emphasized its relationship with independent suppliers and its role in providing retail access.
“We provide our customers the opportunity to access a wide array of products at reasonable price points,” SM Retail said.
The company also highlighted its work with smaller businesses.
“Through our retail network, we have been supporting social enterprises and MSMEs to scale their business, by offering them opportunities to offer their products within the SM Retail network,” it said.
Carry Om, meanwhile, has urged customers to continue sending photos of products they believe resemble its designs.
The dispute has placed attention not only on the two bags in question but also on the relationship between large retailers, their third-party suppliers, and independent Filipino designers whose products inspire or influence trends in the broader market.
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