Patience Has Its Rewards (AKA The S&R Members' Treat First Day Post)!

I wonder why people without patience even bother. Twice a year, I remind readers about S&R's Early Bird Treat. That is the time you should shop if you have zero tolerance for lines. Members' Treat isn't for those lacking in tolerance. And yet, as usual, we have bickering know-it-alls, trying to beat lines, lecturing employees and security guards about what they think should be done, and so on and so forth. Please, people, if you hate lines, DON'T GO ON THE FIRST OR SECOND DAY!

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let's proceed. 

The kids had school that day, and the nanny's kids are living with us (again!). So I had no one to go line up with me. I practically begged my friend and kumare, G, to go with me. Told her to be there by 3. Yes, AM. I was 10th in line. She, along with my goddaughter R and her SIL M, came at 330AM, and by then, the line had ballooned, and we were now #14 (that's because some friends had also arrived to join those who were in line earlier).

By 4AM, they allowed people to enter the S&R lot. We were guided by the guard to the side of the parking lot (just like last year) and was told to wait until he got the go-signal from the boss. By then, there were about a hundred people in line.

People after us waiting in the lot.

Very patient people.
That's G on the phone with my S&R Members' Treat care package consisting of ice cold coffee, some crackers, water,
and two cheeseburgers. I also brought a picnic mat (she's sitting on it, in case we had to camp out on the floor, LOL), a stool and giant umbrella.

While we were sitting down minding our own business, this lady started shouting at the guard. Apparently, she is pissed because there aren't any signs telling her where to line up. She went to the cordoned off area next to the entrance, only to be sent back by the guard because the line didn't start there. We could hear her from where we were because she was practically yelling at the poor guard.

Lady, get in line!

If only she saved all that wasted time! Instead, she went on and on about how she didn't know there was a line out here, and how she didn't see people lining up at the parking lot (there were more than a hundred people when she drove in). To which the guy at the start of the line retorted with "What do we look like to her, animals?"

She wasn't the only one trying to get one over everyone else. When we were told to move our butts and get to the cordoned off area, there was this other lady sitting there pretending she was first in line. I mean, why? Why even try when you know people were here first? She tried to argue her way by saying she didn't know there was a line at the parking lot. How? When that's the first thing you'll see when you enter? So of course the others yelled at her to get in line. She yelled back. Hello, respect the ones who were there before midnight (the first one in line was there at 1145PM the previous day).

The scene at 430AM. The guided walk to the cordoned off area next to the entrance.

Still at 430AM. Imagine all these people were waiting to actually spend their hard-earned moolah!

Aside from G, I had also asked my office mate and warehouse assistant L to join me that morning. We were getting tables for the store, and I needed someone to help me with them. I knew about S&R's "One Membership Card, One Pushcart" rule, so I needed extra hands in case I filled my cart. I told her to make sure she was there before 6AM so her arrival doesn't irk the others. She came at 530AM.  

The scene when the sun came out.

At 6AM, a female guard came to tell us we should move our queue to outside the cordoned off area. Needless to say, she received a ton of protest! One guy, who appears in the photo above, decided he was to play hero and started yelling at the top of his lungs, instructing the guard and S&R personnel what to do. Obviously new to this game, he was suggesting that the guard guide everyone to where she wanted us to go. Of course no one wanted to budge, so all that yelling fell on deaf ears. We were in an orderly queue. Why mess it up?

A group selfie before we start hoarding!

When I got back from bringing the stool and umbrella (and everything else) to the car, I noticed a lady in green walking to the front of the queue like she had some business there. She would walk to the front, then back to the back, then back to the front to talk to the S&R girls up in front, then back to where she was in line. Right before they started letting people in, we noticed her going back to the front where she loitered a bit. She didn't speak to anyone in line.

So when we saw her signalling for her troops (at the back of the line) to come up to where she was, we wondered out loud why she was suddenly there when she wasn't even part of the first 20 people in line! She yells at us to say she was there at 12midnight (nope, you weren't) and that we could even ask her girl friend who was first in line (the person who was first in line was a guy). She argues that she was told they could only bring in one cart, so she had asked her other relatives to join her so she could use their card to get another cart. Lady, if you were first in line like you say so, then why didn't you line up with your friend, or better yet, why didn't you ask your relatives to move up front with your friend before the line actually moved?! 

Right before the store opened at 730AM!

Oh well, you meet all sorts of people in events such as this. I guess some people really don't have it in them to wait lines out. So please, if you can't take long lines, sit the next one out, or shop on succeeding days. PLEASE.

It actually is fun to wait in line, especially when you see familiar faces - this lady from my post in 2011 saw me in line and made it a point to say HI. Yes, shopaholics unite! LOL!

The crazy queue to the cashiers at S&R Congressional. This was at 9AM.

We were done shopping at 830AM. Even got to buy food to bring back to the office. I was coded that day, so we had to sit it out until 10AM. But we had to wait for our tables (which needed to get claimed at the tire bay area this time around) because they needed to unload them from a container sitting out back. Took them roughly 30 minutes. A lady (who got to the tire bay about 15 minutes after we did) also claiming a table started complaining about how this sale wasted her time. She was saying how S&R wasn't organized when they had to make members wait - to get in, to pay, and now to claim her purchase. Ma'am, this is Members' Treat. Lagi pong may pila. Sale sila, so expect long lines. If you hate long lines, don't go.

A little rain won't stop these people from haording!

We finally got everything in the car by 1015AM. Just in the nick of time.

That same evening, I received a text from my high school bestie, V, who complained about how she couldn't get in S&R Aseana.

"If you hate long lines, don't go on the first day."


People, don't say I didn't warn you!

~~~ * ~~~

S&R Members' Treat ends tomorrow! Be there or be square. 

S&R MEMBERS' TREAT
September 25 - 29, 2013
8AM to 9AM

Bonifacio Global City * Congressional * Aseana - Baclaran * Alabang * Cebu * Pampanga * Davao

| S&R on Facebook

After the Chaos.

The S&R Sale started Wednesday morning. I initially thought I'd be alone fighting the crowds, as I couldn't imagine taking our nanny AND the three kids (RL and the nanny's two girls). A has exams this week. But last week, A came home really excited because her school declared Wednesday as Home Study/ Rest day (teehee, maybe some of the teachers wanted to go to Members' Treat, too. LOL). She had AP and Filipino exams for Thursday, so we agreed to take her notes and study while waiting in line.

So yes. We woke up really, really early.

We left for S&R Congressional waaaayyyy before the sun came up. When our alarm went off (I shall not tell you guys what time, because I don't want you think we're cray), I was actually thinking we had loads of time to spare. In fact, with that in mind, A and I decided to drive thru McDonald's for breakfast baon, so we don't starve while waiting for the store to open.

The empty lot at... secret (!) o'clock. LOL!

Too early, and yet, about 50pax already in line ahead of us.

When we got to Congressional, there was a short queue of people and cars outside the main gate, as they still weren't letting people in. I thought it was wise to just wait in the car, as I didn't want A to join the queue along the sidewalk. A few minutes later, they started letting people in. I let A fall in line as I went to park the car. It was way too early and yet, when I joined A, there were about 50 people in line ahead of us. My, we weren't the only cray ones there!

After about 30 minutes, they moved the queue beside the building entrance. People started coming, probably thinking they were early, only to find out, they weren't quite that early. LOL!

This was how far we were from the entrance.

The queue at about 5am. And you think you were early?!

Armed with our step-stools, water bottles, Mickey D's sandwiches, mosquito repellent, and A's AP book and notes (plus the iPad, in case we got bored), we were ready to wait. A found it awkward to be studying in line. Everyone in front of us were staring as I explained the AP text in English. LOL! But that was my condition - we can go only if she studies while waiting. Besides, we started only when the sun came up. The rest of the time, I spent playing Carrot Fantasy on RL's iPad. Hehe.

You know how, when you need something done, time just flies? Well, time flew. And by the time 645am came along, they started letting people in! Too bad for those who sent drivers and helpers to queue for them during the wee hours, because they weren't there when shopping hour came along. Ha!

Hello, Mr. Sun!

A lot of patient people in line this year. I didn't hear any yelling or bickering.
Except maybe for the guy behind us, but that's because he stopped a lady from cutting into queue.

The scene right before they started letting people in...

The great thing about being really, really early is you get first dibs on limited stock items, plus you get to shop fast. There weren't many carts in line for the cashiers when we decided to fall in line at around 730am (yes, we were that fast). I told A that we were sticking to necessities this sale, so we went with a list! I know, Mia, who am I kidding, right? LOL! But really, I think I did pretty well.

The cashier lines at 730am thereabouts.
There was only 1 cart ahead of us, but they took a while to ring up since the cashier had to go on a potty break. Hehe.

The store at 9am. They added a couple of cashiers at the end. The wait wasn't so bad. Well, at least for us.

Our car was coded so we waited another hour. The crowd wasn't so bad. I say, last September was crazier.  But then, we were really early this time, and I guess that was an advantage in itself.

The crowd outside (around 930am). Like I said, it wasn't as bad as September.

It took us a while to load our loot, because our nanny forgot to empty the trunk. Nyar. That, plus there were a lot of cars on the lot, vying for spaces as customers left. But yea, it was a morning well spent.

My first day S&R loot. Yes, you read that right. First day. I went again last night. And again, today, with my officemates.

~~~

After getting our passports from the Korean Embassy yesterday, my gf G and I decided to check out S&R BGC. There wasn't a line going in, and there weren't as much shoppers as I had expected. Lines were organized, but I noticed that stocks weren't as plenty as that first day at Congressional (maybe because the  first day crowd at BGC bought 'em all?).

The BGC crowd. See... happy people. I love it when only the patient shopaholics shop. Haha!

It's fun shopping with someone as patient as I am. G and I took our time checking out the items on sale, and had dinner after.

Doing what we do best. LOL!

I am expecting that the crowds will be wilder tonight and on the weekend, today being the 15th and all. But yes, I went back earlier with my officemates. And yes, I shall be back tomorrow with the in-laws. I love S&R, and I guess you can call it my happy place.

What about you? What was Members' Treat like for you this time around?


PS. I think "Early Wednesday" is an understatement. We may have gone to line up late Tuesday. LOL! Okay, okay, just kidding.