CENTURY City Mall is celebrating its first Christmas with a treat for shoppers.

With Christmas just weeks away, people have been heading to malls and bazaars after work and on weekends to complete their lists. Divisoria and its bargain prices might look enticing, but the crush of shoppers on a Sunday morning—we were there by 7 a.m. three days ago—is enough to put off even the most inveterate shopper.

To encourage people to shop, malls are decked out in holiday decorations, and showcase clean halls and nicely displayed merchandise. Some of them even offer limited promotions to increase sales on specific dates.

Century City Mall is celebrating its first Christmas this year with a two-weekend campaign on Nov. 29 and 30, and Dec. 13 and 14. Two thousand shoppers with accumulated purchases worth P10,000 on those dates will have the chance to receive P2,000 worth of Century City Mall vouchers.

The vouchers come in two P1,000 values that can be used for food and dining, and for shopping at the mall.

“We wanted to be different from other malls that raffle off a car with only one winner. With our ‘Shopaholic Holiday,’ a total of 2,000 shoppers who spend the required amount will get P2,000 worth of gift vouchers. It’s like getting a 20-percent rebate on purchases worth P10,000,” said Graham M. Coates, chief operating officer for Century Properties’ retail business group.

Hole in the Wall

“This is the mall’s very first Christmas so we wanted it to be truly memorable for us and for shoppers,” Coates said.

The mall recently opened a new dining area called Hole in the Wall on the fourth floor. Unlike the usual mall food court with its grid of tables and benches surrounded by food stalls, Hole in the Wall is designed to look like chic, different dining areas in a shared space.

ONTHE FOURTH level of themall, one can view the nightly lights and sound show.

Near the main entrance and lining one side are food options ranging from chewy cookies and Vietnamese pho to freshly made juices and Chinese favorites. The salted egg chicken wings are really good.

Apart from this treat, shoppers have the chance to meet Santa Claus when he roams around the mall this Sunday and all Sundays of December. Joining him will be a special helper, a “reindeer dog” that will accept donations for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

Kiss, tell, win a prize

Kissing under the mistletoe might be a foreign concept for most Filipinos, but it’s just another chance to express your love.

At Century City Mall, shoppers can express their creativity when they have their photos taken under the mistletoe. They can then post their photos on Instagram with the hashtags #KissandTell and #LoveChristmas. Don’t forget to tag centurycitymallph to enter the contest. Five winners will be chosen every week for six weeks, with each winner getting 10 cinema tickets.

Winning entries will be posted on the “Kiss and Tell” photo wall in the mall.