Back to school

The clock’s ticking. Three weeks from now, about 23 million students and half-a-million teachers will troop back to school.

In the meantime, bedlam reigns in Divisoria, Recto, airconditioned malls and bookstores as shoppers scramble for branded and unbranded school supplies and uniforms. It’s back-to-school sales season, dearies!

The ever vigilant Department of Trade and Industry has warned buyers to check labels for quality assurance because cheaper school items could contain harmful chemicals that cause cancer.

It’s easy to fall victim to these back-to-school promos, but having been alerted by the DTI already, it wouldn’t hurt shoppers really to stay away from substandard materials. And from pickpockets also.

Having said that, the back-to-school selling fever is still on a high roll. To those whose shopping isn’t completely over yet, you can avoid the traffic jams made worse by the blazing summer heat by shopping online.

There are no flea-market prices here, meaning you may pay a teeny weeny bit more for the items on SMilDS e-mall, but spending for quality items that are safe and last long shouldn’t be compromised.

The speed and convenience you experience when shopping on the Internet – can’t be quantified. No more elbow-pushing as you find your way to the cash registers or having your bags snatched away before you could even cry Help, I’ve been robbed.

Your Internet purchases will be delivered to where you want them brought by courier companies that respect delivery deadlines and whose crews have been trained on road safety procedures.

Just think simple, happy thoughts. Like, on the first day of school, the children are ready with their new uniforms, bags, textbooks, lunchboxes. With no allergy signs whatsoever.

A guide on how to start selling on the Internet

Have you always wanted to be in charge of your own store on the Internet, similar to these web shops?

Here's a link to an article on practical tips to becoming a certified online merchant: “The Basics on Becoming an Online Merchant”

A geeky daughter writes to mom

Hi Ma,           I’m making two hard copies of this which on the morning          of May 10, I’ll stick on the ref door, and next to the kitchen         sink, beside your favorite mug.            I’m not sure you’ll read this on your e-mail which I set up for you    on your birthday five months ago, because you haven’t replied to    the two e-mails I sent you since then. This is my 3rd email to you.        I’m pretty certain also you won’t see this letter in my blog where   I’m publishing it. My classmates are doing ‘Dear Mom’ letters for   their blogs too. It’s our summer multimedia arts class project and   I want my group where I was elected historian to win. But I’m   digressing.           In her last e-mail to me, Ate said you don’t buy anything for    yourself anymore, even if you spend Friday evenings and the    whole afternoon of Saturdays at the crowded shopping malls and    tiangges looking for bargains and discounts. Your ‘buys’ are    always for Ate, me and the pantry.             Anytime on Monday, a package for you will be delivered by red-     shirted men. Of course having read this letter, by the time their     red truck arrives, you’d already be expecting them.     Don’t worry, I’ve enough money left for our three-week stay in     Shenzen to shoot the docu on online shopping among the     Chinese that I told you about.     I’ve been saving up in the last 5 months for something for you.     I’ve been regularly comparing prices and “window-shopping” on      the Internet.       Good thing, the online stores I tail on the Internet are offering       discounts in celebration of Mother’s Day. Didn’t have the time to        go to the malls.         I’ll see you in three weeks. Meantime, hope you like the             ohmygosh items.                                         Thank you for being Mother to Ate and me.                                                                               See ya!                                                                                    Ningning

Trust us, we make shopping safe and convenient for you

230 shops selling over 2,000 products on our SMilDS e-mall. Fashion and Apparel, Gifts & Novelty Items, Toys and Hobbies, Books and Comics, Consumer Electronics. If you’re into Beauty and Personal Care, that too. And we’ve been in business for 10 months only. If you haven't made a purchase yet over the Internet, it's time to join the online shopping bandwagon.

To begin with, there are about 1.5 billion (could be more) net shoppers from around the world. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, in their March 2010 report, said those who use the Internet in developing countries most likely have shopped online like those in developed economies.

Quoting from the ITIF report, “63 percent of Latin Americans and 70 percent of those in the Asia Pacific region have made at least one purchase online, compared to 85 percent of Internet users in both North America and Europe." According to a recent Mastercard Worldwide survey, 78% of the e-shoppers surveyed in 14 countries in 2009 found buying over the Internet suits them better. They must have found their nirvana. Like time and convenience. Web stores are the ideal sites to look for the best buys and bargains. Unlike in shopping malls where you tire yourself moving from one end to another, you can look around online shops to compare prices from your office, living room, bedroom or kitchen without straining yourself. You just have to move that cursor and click and click. We bet those clicks won't even tire you. Promotions and discounts happen on our site every now and then. Why? Our Pinoy merchants work hard to earn your loyalty and trust. Now, here are easy-to-follow and safe guides to joining the online buying boom and start with us. We're Sure Seal certified.

Now, where were we? Aah yes, add to cart. This is shopping minus the stress, traffic and the crowd. Cheers!