Dads get to celebrate GCQ freedom with SM call to deliver
If you feel like you’ve been cooped up inside forever, you’re not alone. Regular observances and events — Easter, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day — all have been put on the shelf during this lockdown season.
But SM had this great idea. What if you could order a lot of SM items delivered to your home from their online catalogue? Sure, they’re not alone in this concept; other businesses have realized the value of reaching out to customers through online delivery. It’s just that, as Father’s Day comes around, us dads really are glad to be given an opportunity to “click and add to cart” for a change.
It’s really easy. You call the #SMCallToDeliver hotline (0917-800-1074) from Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for inquiries, or check out their online catalog (www.thesmstore.com/call-to-deliver-catalog).
On the website, you’re greeted with a big blue banner for Father’s Day, and a selection of specially curated items called “Essentials” that runs the gamut from day-to-day grooming items and fitness gear, to high-end gadgets and gear.
Personally, I found it easy to focus on items that meet my specific needs. Coffee, for instance. You can order up an Imarflex Aroma-Tech coffee maker (P1,599.75), or maybe you just need to restock on Melita coffee filters (40-pack, P109.75) to get your morning brew on.
In my more imaginative moments during lockdown, I’ve dreamt of brewing my own beer (thanks to the liquor ban). Too bad the materials for that kind of operation are kind of scarce in Metro Manila. So instead, I contented myself with stocking up on Trolli Gummy Bears, Neon Squiggles and Sour Worms (500-gram tub, P299.75). Candy is almost as comforting as beer, after all.
Since I’m pretty mobile around the house, and lugging along big earmuff headphones can be a chore, I found myself eyeing these i9S wireless ear buds that come in a sleek white container (P299.75). They’re perfect for listening to my phone jams and also catching calls on the fly.
One of the biggest obstacles to lockdown has been the lack of proper barber services. My wife has been kind enough to help me out in this department, offering me the occasional trim. I felt it would make the job easier for my desginated home barber if I ordered up a nice W Elite Cordless Hair Clipper (P1,999). So I did.
And since we’re on a grooming tip, I admit I was running out of replacement razor blades after a few months indoors, so the four-pack Gillette Mach 3 cartridges (P598) were a blessing. You can only go with halfway scruff for so long.
#SM Call To Deliver made all of this very easy. You can either call the hotline or go online to pick the store location best for you, and the mechanics are simple:
1. Visit The SM Store online (www.thesmstore.com). Select the items you like from the Call to Deliver catalogue and speak to your branch representative for anything else you might need.
2. Wait for an order confirmation from a branch representative including instructions for payment and delivery.
3. Send proof of your payment to your branch representative and wait for your item to be delivered to your doorstep.
Delivery times vary depending on your location and quarantine regulations in the area.
The motorcycle courier (masked, of course) brought my purchases in a white SM Store bag, and it was a special pre-Father’s Day treat to unpack all the goodies. After all, it’s the little rewards that remind dads why they work so hard during the rest of the year.
Clicking through their online #SM Call to Deliver catalogue, you’ll find gifts to explore the outdoors (FujiFilm Mirrorless Digital Camera, Spyder Helmet, Pacsafe slingpack), stuff to make you presentable in the office (CK One cologne, Calvin Klein Eau de Toilette), or items to help you get fit after months of binge-watching and snacking (rubber shoes, tees, shirts and dri-fit shorts). So, time to get off the couch, dads.
According to SM SVP for Marketing and Communications Millie Dizon, “SM Call to Deliver is one of the ways The SM Store serves its customers. We also have an online store, ShopSM. And of course, our physical store, which is now opened, to give customers an omnichannel experience.”
It’s part of The SM Store's commitment to serve the ever-changing needs of its customers. “It started with a few stores in the Vismin area last April 13, to assist customers who needed essential items while in lockdown,” she says. “After a few days, we started offering the service to more stores in Luzon, and it’s now available in all our stores.”
Delivery might even become a permanent feature of the SM mix. “For now, our SM Call to Deliver is here to stay,” says Dizon. “We have received feedback on how this service is convenient as customers can now shop from home. They love that we have a wide range of selections — from baking needs, to baby essentials, protective gear, and cleaning items.
“We are getting a lot of love from shoppers who are happy about the service and the fast delivery.”
For now, it’s one more way that dads, and everyone else, can ease the transition back to a “new normal” lifestyle after lockdown.
