A man looks at the teleorder advertisement at a supermarket in Yangon.

SOMETIMES leaving home to do the shopping is a major drag, but luckily there are several stores in Yangon that save shoppers the hassle by offering telephone and internet ordering services.

One of these is Blazon department store, which has run a telephone ordering service since 2005. With a simple phone call, customers can buy any item in the store and have it delivered.

Even better, Blazon offers free delivery for purchases of K10,000 or more – with certain limitation – and guarantees that products or goods will arrive on your doorstep within 24 hours.

Free delivery applies to Insein, Mayangone, Kamaryut, Hlaing, Sanchaung, Kyeemyindaing, Ahlone, Tarmwe, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Kyauktada, Botahtaung, Latha, Pansodan, South Okkalapa, North Okkalapa, Pazundaung, Lanmadaw and Yankin.

Orders destined for delivery to townships not on this list have a K2000 delivery charge.

To access this service customers need only pick up the phone and dial 441 2416, 538 347, 538 348 or 536 260 between 9am and 6pm.

Orange supermarket, which is under the same management as Blazon, is another busy supermarket in Yangon that offers telephone ordering services from Waizayatar shopping mall’s Orange branch.

Free delivery is offered for purchases above K3000 to South Okkalapa, Thingangyun, Thuwana and Yankin townships. And anything you can buy at an Orange supermarket is available through the telephone ordering service on 721 349 from 9am to 3pm every day; orders placed before 3pm will be on your doorstep between 4 and 6pm that day.

City Mart has seven branches in Yangon and started a dual telephone and internet ordering service four years ago that remains in use today.

All items can be ordered online but there is a minimum purchase level of K50,000 and free delivery will only be provided for purchases above K100,000. For purchases below K100,000 an additional K5000 deliver fee is charged.

To access the service customers can ring 723 537 from 9am to 9pm. Email orders should be directed to enquiry@city.com.mm.

Orders placed before 1pm will be delivered between 1:30 and 6pm that day, while those made after that time will be sent the following day between 9am and midday.

The services are available to Ahlone, Bahan, Botahtaung, Dagon, Dawbon, Hlaing, Hlaing Tharyar, Insein, Kamaryut, Kyauktada, Kyeemyindaing, Lanmadaw, Latha, Mayangone, Mingalardon, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Okkalapa, Pabedan, Pazundaung, Sanchaung, Tarmwe, Thaketa, Thingangyun and Yankin townships.

City Mart also operates a website – www.city.com.mm – where customers can also pick and choose products and arrange delivery.

But Daw Thet Wah Win, City Mart’s marketing manager, said customers usually choose to use the telephone ordering service.

“People prefer to use our telephone ordering service rather than the internet because not many people have internet access at their homes, whereas most people have a telephone line,” she said.

Even customers who could be expected to have an internet connection – like businessman Ko Thiha Soe – use the telephone.

“The telephone ordering service is really useful for me and it is a big help, especially when I’m busy with work and don’t have a time to go out shopping,” he said.

Telephone ordering services are particularly useful for older or less-mobile shoppers for whom leaving the house can be a real burden, like 60-year-old U Maung Sein, who orders his groceries by telephone.

“People like me are not comfortable going to shopping centres and it makes shopping difficult, especially since I don’t want to ask other people to do my shopping for me.

This is the best way for me, and it allows me to do my shopping only twice a month,” he said.

But even still, U Maung Sein says his options are limited.

“Telephone ordering services are not offered by every shopping centre or supermarket in Yangon, even though there are many of these around the city.”