SM City Sto. Tomas opened on 27 October 2023, the 85th mall in SM Prime’s portfolio and the fourth in Batangas, after SM City Batangas, SM City Lipa and SM Center Lemery, in a building whose roof Rappler compared to Changi Airport. The daylighting and the curved structure carrying it depart from the standard SM box.
Industrial employment is a major part of the surrounding catchment. The city government lists the First Philippine Industrial Park across 500 hectares in Barangay Sta. Anastacia and Light Industry and Science Park III across 124 hectares in Barangay San Rafael, and puts the population at 218,500 at the 2020 census. Santo Tomas itself became a city after the plebiscite of 7 September 2019 under Republic Act 11086. The two parks put a large employment base inside the trade area alongside the residential one.
The mall stands in Barangay San Bartolome on the Maharlika Highway, which SM Prime describes as the intersection of the highways crossing Laguna, Batangas and Quezon. A transport terminal on the property serves commuters from all three provinces. Retail occupies three levels, and close to all leasable space was committed by opening. SM Prime reports gross floor area of about 73,000 square meters as of December 31, 2025.
The SM Store, SM Supermarket, SM Appliance Center, Ace Hardware, Watsons, Uniqlo, Sports Central, Surplus, Miniso and Pet Express opened with the building, and Fully Booked chose it for its first outlet in Batangas province. The tenant list since then has filled out with Guess, Cotton On, Hurley, Aéropostale, Plains & Prints and Havaianas on apparel, Owndays and Sunnies Studios on eyewear, and a food roster of J.CO Donuts & Coffee, Marugame Udon, Panda Express, Dookki, Pancake House and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf that adds a broad fast-casual and sit-down layer to a catchment shaped partly by industrial employment and inter-provincial movement.
