Long time no post! Prior to the release of Podcast #98 this Friday (I’m sure I’m going to post the show notes here late), I’ve done my online shopping as well, getting my groceries and some non-food items in one sitting.
In fact, due to the virus scare (running for 2 years now), I rarely go out. When I go out of the building, I just make sure I don’t go beyond the 3-kilometer radius. That said, I do my grocery shopping online.
On this post, allow me to share my experiences with different shopping platforms, and I hope these can help you decide which platform suits you best. For the record, I’m a ride away from the middle of EDSA.
The SM Store / SM Markets
SM has a LOT of platforms to choose from, and it can be quite confusing for first-timers. Thankfully, you can still count these services by hand. I’ve experienced ShopSM, Call-to-Deliver (via Viber) and SM Markets.
ShopSM.com
Of all the SM online shopping services I’ve experienced, ShopSM.com is the one I’m frustrated with. It’s like Lazada dressed as your local department store, and I will never recommend you to use this service if you are in a hurry for something, since the item you need will be routed from ShopSM’s main HQ to the branch nearest you within 2 to 3 days. I will instead recommend you to…
Call-to-Deliver
In a desperate move to secure an item for a get-together last year, I joined the Call-to-Deliver group on Viber, connected with them, and they patched me up with a personal shopper who called me after a while. The item – a coffee maker – was secured in half a day, and that includes them testing the item for you via video call.
What about payments? As with The SM Store, Call-to-Deliver has PayMaya and GCash as payment options. As for deliveries, they will get you a GrabExpress rider to send in your item at your cost. I asked for a gift wrap and they happily included it without a cent.
SM Markets
I mentioned earlier that I’ve just processed my grocery shopping for the week, and I tried SM Markets this time. You can shop as usual, and they will deliver to your place (with a fee) as long as you are within their 5km radius.
I have yet to receive my groceries so I’ll have to update this post soon. The problem is, I forgot the eggs.
Metromart
Metromart is good if you need a variety. They are tied to a lot of stores, but I chose to shop at a Robinsons Supermarket near me. No problems on my end so far, it’s just that I need to do my grocery shopping in advance.
PureGo
PureGo is a partnership between Puregold and GCash. This is convenient, because (1) I can pay with GCash and (2) they’re included in the GCash app’s GLife section. The best part is, I was able to secure my groceries within the same day, which is important for me as I want to cook Japanese curry.
Here’s the detail: I ordered groceries during lunch, and I got a call during the afternoon confirming my order. They delivered it in a big box hours after, just in time for my dinner curry fix.
Foodpanda and Foodpanda Shops
Despite valid criticism, Foodpanda is still a great food delivery option for people who are in a rush. Aside from cooked food, they are also tied to some shops so you can also do grocery shopping there.
The thing is, Foodpanda Shops are different from Foodpanda, which should be fine for all of us, except that I do want to have a single transaction sometimes. To be fair, Foodpanda DOES allow multiple transactions.
GrabExpress and GrabFood
GrabFood is another great option for food delivery, which works best if you have the super app installed on your phone. They do have a website counterpart, which also serves its purpose. The downside with the website is you have only two options for paying: GrabPay and Cash on Delivery.
Cashless payment is my policy whenever applicable, so I have to transfer cash from my GCash to my GrabPay (and thank goodness I can bookmark my payment details through GCash so I am a few taps away).
If you also compare GrabFood with Foodpanda, most restaurants stick to GrabFood because of its better relations with them. GrabFood retains its user base as they have restaurants exclusive to GrabFood. That’s where I got my sushi, and the wait was worth it. I have yet to try GrabMart though, maybe soon.
I remember one time when I secured a box of Immunpro from a nearby Mercury Drug, I asked the assistance of GrabExpress to bring it to my place since I couldn’t get out of the building at that time. All’s fine and good – and I shouldered the delivery fee, as per standards.
Angkas Pabili
During HoyoFest last year, I ordered a meal set to celebrate the debut of KoMETA Virtual Live‘s talents. Moon Rabbit Cafe, the Philippine host for HoyoFest, recommends that I get someone to deliver the food as this is a custom order. I was thinking, “if I did order via GrabFood, I may not be able to get the HoyoFest freebies because it can be treated as an order from someone who is not a fan.”
Angkas Pabili popped out as an option to me. I already have Angkas on the phone, so I filled in the details. Like GrabExpress, Angkas Pabili will pay first your items then you will pay them back. Make sure you have your cash ready (though I’m not sure if the riders will allow GCash too, since Angkas riders have that app as well; you got to ask them).
Shopee and Lazada
I’ve frequented Shopee and Lazada for God knows how long. Their monthly singles sales (11.11 and so on) get everyone to shop. They started this “retail therapy” madness after all.
Both platforms are good, both have their online Malls, and both of them require you to be wiser in your online shopping by looking at product reviews. Putting your items on sale at Lazada and Shopee are of a different story, but I believe Shopee made it easier for merchants to sell on the platform compared to Lazada.
Lazada has partners with brands such as ToyCon PH (ToyConnection) and Big Bad Wolf Book Sale (a big plus for the book sale itself, which learned lessons from their logistics brouhaha), which I consider as a plus for them.
IKEA
I’ve visited IKEA just before I entered Cosplay Mini Matsuri last year, and I am so ecstatic to see what a maze it was. You’d rather shop at IKEA physically because they don’t deliver food items. At all.
They only have non-food items there. You also need to order in advance, definitely. The upside is that you can pay via GCash. Well, another good thing about IKEA is that it stands on its own.
Thank you for reading all the way through the end of this post. I hope my experiences set proper expectations for you as you go along your life with limited mobility due to the pandemic. I have been reminded through and through to disinfect goods as much as possible, and I would like to relay that reminder as well to you, my readers, along with the minimum health standards we have to follow. Stay safe, everyone!
Banner Photo by Pickawood on Unsplash, Logos from their respective owners