COLLIN COUNTY, Texas — It's not time for Christmas just yet, but a new company in Collin Country is making it hard to tell.
It's called Santa, and it's a shopper's dream-come-true.
Here's how it works: People download the Santa app. The Santa truck, itself, travels through different neighborhoods in Collin County, and the app sends a push notification when it's nearby.
App users can then open the app to find a storefront that's been curated by a real person, based on the shopper's personal preferences. Items include everything from home goods to clothes, tech items and gifts, and they're from national and local brands.
"You can swipe through the different products and see which ones you like," Frisco-based blogger Breshell West.
Once the products are ordered, a personal shopper traveling with the truck delivers the items to your door within minutes. Customers aren't charged for their items until two days after they're delivered, and if they don't like something they can request a pick-up.
“Seeing the joy on the customer’s faces when we pull up, and building those relationships. It’s been so special," Mallory Higginbotham, a Santa personal shopper, said.
The company launched in Plano and Frisco in late August and has already expanded into zip codes in Allen and McKinney, and a spokesperson for the company said more than a thousand North Texans have already downloaded the app.
"Every single day something new is coming on the app," Higginbotham said.
West, who's blog posts are aimed at promoting local Frisco businesses, said her favorite feature of the experience is the opportunity for local North Texas businesses to get a different kind of exposure, especially after so many went through a tough season in the pandemic.
As a new mom, she said she loves the convenience and the variety. Most recently, she got a birthday gift, some items for her daughter, a tin of olive oil and, of course, something cute for herself.
“Oh, the hat," West said. "They have a hat, and it’s beautiful and it’s local. And it’s in style. It checks all the boxes.”
There's still a bit of time before Christmas is here, but Santa has already arrived in Collin County.