Call to deliver
The SM STORE’s “Call to Deliver” service is achieving double-digit growth proving the convenience, range and high service levels that customers expect of SM.
The growth of the concept amid the pandemic was brought about by its personalized approach in online shopping which is part of SM’s continuing shopping innovation to adapt to the current situation.
Call to Deliver, SM STORE’s hybrid and safe shopping service, is available through #143SM, Facebook Messenger and Viber. It allows customers to chat with store personal shoppers and have their items delivered right at their doorstep or picked up in-store.
This shopping innovation, which delivers its brand of service through online platforms, has been steadily growing as it merges personal in-store shopping with video call services and instant messaging apps for a more personalized approach. The Call to Deliver service has also been adopted by SM’s retail operations and affiliates.
During the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20, the SM STORE also offered free delivery service to ECQ areas for a minimum single-receipt purchase. Discounts were also made available to COVID vaccine card holders via #SMCalltoDeliver.
Items purchased are delivered directly to shoppers’ homes, set aside for in-store collection or brought outside for curbside pick-up. They were made possible by partnering with third-party delivery companies.
Through the mall’s various tenant support initiatives that mobilized tricycle and taxi operators and even bicycle riders as fulfillment partners, SM provided critical delivery services especially in provincial areas for various tenant transactions including those done through the Call to Deliver service.
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2021 Taiwan Excellence Household Goods online product launch
Four outstanding Taiwan Excellence award-winning companies─Artcera Corp., Yztek Co., Ltd., Taiwan Glass Ind. Corp., and Seda Chemcal Products Co., Ltd., took centerstage in the 2021 Household Goods Online Product Launch that was done via livestream.
Among the most novel products introduced were a reusable travel mug, a heat wave massager, a plug-in stove safety device, designer glassware, and a smart-health mattress.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on household consumption patterns and people’s personal living habits. People are spending more time at home during COVID, and the demands of housework and home comforts have increased significantly compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to Mark Wu, executive director of the Strategic Marketing Department of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Taiwan’s premier trade promotion organization.
The Household Goods Online Product Launch included short presentations from each of the featured companies.
TAITRA also launched the Taiwan Global Anti-COVID-19 Pavilion for the fight against COVID-19. The website features anti-pandemic products and solutions provider section. Visitors can reach out to more then 2,000 Taiwanese companies. The Medical Services section provides information on 20 of Taiwan’s top medical institutions, plus a view of Taiwan’s strategies to stop the spread of the virus. Just visit https://www.anticovid19tw.org.
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Gov’t brings home stranded Filipinos from India via CEB
Cebu Pacific (CEB) safely flew home 108 Filipinos from India on August 23, in coordination with the Philippine government.
This sweeper flight departed the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 10:20 a.m. local time, and arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9:25 p.m.
The special recovery flight was organized and chartered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with CEB and the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, in response to the request of several overseas Filipino workers to be brought home while the travel ban is still in place.
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Rakuten Viber supports MSMEs
Viber has launched Negosyo Serye, a three-part webinar series that aims to equip micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with tools and know-how on bolstering sales and strengthening their customer relationship to help them recover from the persistent challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kicking off the series, Viber teamed up with GCash, the leading mobile payment app in the country to discuss how their partnership has allowed MSMEs on the messaging platform to sell more and worry less through GCash QR codes.
Viber and GCash have been working hand in hand to help MSMEs get through the pandemic, launching FoodPH bot, the messaging app’s official food directory, in December 2020 to help food sellers connect with customers. Earlier this year, the tech companies also worked together to give FoodPH sellers first dibs on GCash’s personalized QR codes.
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DepED-Globe webinar for family ties
More than its impact on communities worldwide, COVID-19 has affected even the smallest communities within the four walls of many homes. The resilience of every family is tested by challenges such as the ongoing pandemic.
This was a significant talking point in the latest session of TAYO Naman! (Tulong, Alaga, Yakap at Oras para sa mga Tagapagtaguyod ng Edukasyon), a webinar series by the Department of Education (DepEd) and Globe designed to help teachers, non-teaching personnel, and parents learn more about self-care, wellness, and resilience.
In the episode entitled “Strengthening Family Relationships Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic” held recently, guest speaker Jing Castañeda, a broadcast journalist and Board Member of the Philippine Mental Health Association, noted how the family unit is being tested to the hilt under current circumstances.
Senator Joel Villanueva also made an appearance during the session. He shared the tragedy that befell his family last year, and gave personal reflections on the value of strong family relationships. His mother, Adoracion Jose Villanueva, and sister, former Bocaue Mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna, passed away just months apart.
The episode was spearheaded by the DepEd School Division of Camarines Sur.
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MakatiMed leads Smart Tower vaccination activity for MVP Group
Top hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center led the recent vaccination of the MVP Group of Companies at one of its megasites, the Smart Tower in Makati City.
A total of 1,411 individuals were inoculated during the vaccination held last August 16 to 18. MakatiMed prepared the site for local government unit (LGU) and Department of Health (DOH) accreditations, and provided the manpower and expertise for the clinical teams including doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and pharmacists during the course of the vaccination drive. The hospital was also responsible for checking and ensuring that the vaccines were intact upon delivery, and submitting the reports to the LGU in collaboration with the Smart Tower registration team.
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RCBC bags awards
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) continues to lead the digital innovation initiatives in the Philippines as it receives this year’s The Asian Banker Financial Technology Award for Best ATM and Kiosk Implementation.
The Award for Best ATM and Kiosk Implementation is given to the industry player that is able to optimize the operational cost for the bank in handling cash and other automated transactions in a safe and secure environment, while achieving measurable customer origination as well as selling and cross-selling goals.
With traditional banks embracing fintech, the Award for Best ATM and Kiosk Implementation recognizes RCBC and its fintech partners Weepay and Novus for the ATM Go implementation.
ATM Go focuses on utilizing mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) devices in order to provide customers ATM services plus additional features made available right in their own communities.
From the original two hardware devices, RCBC is now deploying an all in one device. The new terminal is capable of accepting credit card, debit and prepaid card and QR code payments. These new features provide our partners options in accepting payments for their business. Cardless withdrawal is also an additional service that ATM Go has recently offered.
The platform has been instrumental in providing cash relief to the beneficiaries of the government’s social amelioration program, through the Ayuda Arangkada program.
The utilization of ATM Go is an innovative approach to digital banking, maximizing customer reach and impact by serving the majority of Filipinos living outside the cities, allowing them to have convenient financial transactions without having to travel far from home or spending an entire day just to withdraw or deposit their money.
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Real life rewards daily while playing games
New Play2Earn game Bengga is staking its claim in the rising billion-dollar gaming industry by bringing a vast selection of tangible rewards such as digital goods and cryptocurrencies to the everyman. With Bengga, users need not be champion Esports athletes to win monetary prizes, as the free app allows users to win real-life rewards while playing a vast selection of games.
The games in Bengga fall under the umbrella of hyper-casual games–the genre of games designed to be simple, easily playable, and massively engaging due to the low learning curve required to play.
Bengga intends to provide a large scale version of something no gaming app ever had. The team behind Bengga believes that ‘gamifying’ people’s lives by providing immediate and real-life incentives is the future, and they want to be ahead of that curve.
