In the midst of stiffer competition in the toy segment, the toy store of the SM group has offered to deliver its toys to any destination nationwide.

Called Toy2Door Delivery, the service is offered by Toy Kingdom, the toy store of the SM group, partnered with logistics firm Air 2100, Inc.

Toy Kingdom is operated by International Toy World, Inc., a subsidiary of the SM Group of Companies. Air21 is a logistics company under the Lina Group of Companies.

‘The Toy2Door Delivery is the first kids service we’re offering to our customers. We have a lot of customers who are in Manila but want to give gifts to kids who are in Tarlac or General Santos, and now they can go to Toy Kingdom and have the gifts delivered to the kids’ doorstep,’ Bernie Mamonluk, Toy Kingdom events and visual planning manager, told BusinessWorld.

The service, Ms. Mamonluk said, would allow Toy Kingdom to expand its customer base without having to put up branches in areas like Zamboanga, General Santos or Palawan.

‘We believe there’s a potential in those areas. We’re limited also to the malls that we have, and we’d want to expand our reach. We get more customers because of this service. Our market is now everywhere in the country,’ she said.

Under the service, customers of Toy Kingdom can purchase an item worth at least P80 from a Toy Kingdom outlet and go to the customer service counters to have them weighed. Items are delivered overnight. Delivery charge will depend on the size of the toy and the destination. Delivery charges, Ms. Mamonluk said, could be as low as P50, for lightweight toys that are going to be delivered from Manila to a point in Luzon.

However, toys cannot be returned unless they are damaged by mishandling, Ms. Mamonluk said.

‘Once the customer buys the toy and gives this to us for delivery, we ensure that the toy is in good condition upon packing for delivery. We pack the toy in front of the customer to ensure that toys are in good condition. Toy Kingdom and Air21 ensure customers that the toys reach the customer in good condition. However, if there are damages when

item is delivered due to mishandling, via transit, we should be informed right away,’ she said. Since the service started last month, 5% of Toy Kingdom’s customers have availed of it, Ms. Mamonluk said. She said that the service was conceptualized after Toy Kingdom customers made inquiries on deliveries. Before, Toy Kingdom officials used to accompany customers who purchased toys from them to mail outlets, Ms. Mamonluk said.

She added that the service is not a response to the entry of US toy retailer Toys ‘R’ Us, and noted that while the program was only launched last June, it was finalized as early as March this year.