LOL.
Once upon a time, when I was still active on the Hong Kong thread of Pinoyexchange.com, I talked like I knew a thing or two about shopping in Hong Kong. Active PExer and I&P Grandmaster, blue_tracer decided he would crown me the "Shopping Monster" (which I objected to, and still object to, as I am no shopping guru), but the nickname stuck - so much so that blue_tracer (BT) even briefed my family (including R!) on my Shopping Monster status on one of those trips we took to Macau, where BT acted as our personal tour guide.
Like I said, I am no shopping monster, but I do love to shop (Who doesn't? Ok, I asked the female readers here ha, not the men, haha!). Yesterday was no exception. Yes, yesterday, I acted like a shopping monster. *sheepish grin* Ok, a little monster - a nice monster at that. Haha!
S&R's Members' Treat started yesterday. My SimSimi Chicken Alarm (you guys should download this free app; it's an alarm that sounds like a rooster crowing - works great, except when... well... when you sleep ON your phone. LOL!) woke us up at 430am. We were out the door and off to S&R Congressional at a quarter to five. I thought we were early enough to grab breakfast at McDonald's Muñoz. I was wrong. The store didn't have Drive-Thru and although there was only one lady in line ahead of me, she took forever. Plus only one counter was open. I wasted a good 10-15 minutes getting our food. By the time we got to S&R (around 530am), there was a line of crazy people snaking its way to the entrance.
This was the line before 530am. Parang field trip lang. |
The sun finally comes up, and we were there to witness it. A rare treat for RL, who hardly ever sees the sunrise. We're night owls! |
Crazy folks like me at the S&R sale. First day madness! |
The line at 6am. Better planning this year, S&R finally implemented a line system! |
Seniors creating their own line and trying to get in ahead of everyone else (well, that's what the guard said). |
Line system at 820am. See how it snakes around? And see the hordes of people out in the sun? |
I wouldn't want to be under the sun. It helps to come early, at least you don't wait under that heat. Good thing it didn't rain yesterday. But there sure were a lot of hot-headed people. |
We were in line for a good 3 hours and 45 minutes. My kids were game. I had no problems, except for that one instance when RL cried looking for the iPhone (there's a story here, but I've decided not to share it, lest I want someone to leave a comment about how I should have stayed home or left my kids at home, etc. - uh, read the previous posts please).
Took all the tricks in my bag to keep RL entertained. But he was really cooperative. Probably thought he was an expert at this, too. |
Ate A brought a book, and her old, trusty DSLite. The battery worked for a good 6 hours! Yay! |
So near, yet so far. The last stretch to the entrance. This was at 9am. The family in front of us even brought their newborn baby girl. ;) |
Once inside, I needed blinders to keep me from buying things I didn't need. They had this nice Children's Picnic Table from Lifetime, selling at P2,499.95. And although, I must admit, I wanted it, I didn't need it (we don't even have a place for it!). Besides, RL and I just purchased a Toy Story Kiddie Table Set on Clearance at S&R a few weeks ago. I made mental note after mental note, reminding myself how I didn't need this or that. I double-checked each thing I placed in my cart, making sure I needed it or that I was getting an extra good deal. I was sooooo tempted to get a lot more, really, but I had prayed for self-control and exercised it as best I could (teehee).
It's a good thing A found another cart inside. We filled up one cart in the first 10 minutes we were in the store (oops!). We were in line for the cashiers at 1030am. There were several carts parked by the actual cashier lines that it was hard to tell which ones were "still waiting" and which ones were "ready to pay". RL and A stayed in line with the carts while I went to check out stuff for my brother and my friends (who couldn't get off work). Once, upon returning with plastic shelving (on SALE for P1,899.95, from original price of P3,499.95) for A's Littlest Pet Shop toys, I find A and RL (and our carts) pushed back, two carts down. So I asked and apparently, some helpers (originally at the side and "waiting") had asked A if she was still ready to pay or if she was still waiting for me. Mind you, there were about 5 more carts ahead of us when this happened. When A said I went to get something but will be back, these guys decided they could cut in line. They had just moved and switched places with A right when I arrived with the shelving unit. It was no use to argue. They had their hearts set at getting to the cashiers first, and yes, even if it meant tricking a 9-year-old into moving her cart back. Sigh.
Two words. PANIC. BUYING. Lol! |
Let me just give my two cents on lining up... IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PATIENCE, don't even bother going to the sale. You have to be set on waiting it out. You WAIT getting into the store. You WAIT while maneuvering your cart through the jampacked aisles. You WAIT getting to the cashiers. You WAIT getting your items checked. You WAIT getting out of the store. If you're not a patient person, DO NOT GO. Well, not on the first day.
Kids waiting at the line to the cashiers. Be equipped with snacks and water as lines get super long inside as well. |
ALL DONE! |
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S&R's Members' Treat runs from March 28 through April 1, 2012. Happening at all branches, including Pampanga and Cebu. Wanna be updated with SALES such as this? Like S&R on Facebook here.
http://www.snrshopping.com/
Wow, you really are patient! And kudos to the kids! My wife and I would not have made it out of that sale alive. :p
ReplyDeleteHaha, Ganns, I can imagine you waiting in line and doing that exasperated look Nicki kept giving me last Sunday when I was asking her for a Gannsy smile. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou're not a shopping monster, shopping diva na lang. :)
ReplyDelete