SM Retail launches e-commerce platform

The country’s biggest retailer SM has unveiled an e-commerce platform to capture a burgeoning interest in online shopping in the digital age especially among younger consumers.

In a statement, the SM group’s department store arm The SM Store launched its e-commerce website https://shop.thesmstore.com/, citing the goal of taking the shopping experience to a whole new level.

“The online shopping site will bring us closer to our new generation of millennial shoppers. Our commitment is to provide convenience and accessibility to our customers through innovation,” said Jorge Mendiola, president at SM Retail Inc., which is a unit of the Sy-led conglomerate SM Investments Corp.

“We remain cognizant of the evolution of shopping trends throughout the years. We hope that with this new e-commerce site, we will be able to reach out to more of our customers by bringing more attractive brands online and provide them a more exciting and diverse shopping experience with SM,” Mendiola added.

The new online shopping site showcases men’s, women’s and children’s accessories, apparel, bags and shoes as well as luggage and gift ideas.

The SM Store offers door-to-door deliveries to most parts of the Philippines through its logistics partners.

Another option for shoppers is to pick up their purchases at SM North Edsa 24 hours after they have placed their orders online. The SM Store is further enhancing this option in due course through possible pick-up points in all Metro Manila and Luzon SM stores after two working days.

In Visayas and Mindanao, the SM Store will eventually extend the pick-up arrangements in their branches in Mandurriao, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.

SM intends to implement a nationwide coverage of the pick-up system by 2015 following the soft launch of the site this year.

Today, there are a total of 50 SM Stores in the Philippines, representing the same number of local shopping malls built by property giant SM Prime Holdings Inc.

SM’s department store business, now branded as The SM Store, has an array of merchandise from fashion to home furnishings. The SM group has spruced up its department stores to adopt aspirational store designs.