AT LEAST 2,000 sari-sari store owners are expected to receive advice from financial experts about how to run their businesses during this year’s Sari-Sari Store Festival.
“The event will hold discussions on how to further grow their sari-sari stores including best practices and successes in running these iconic village stores. Those who want to expand their businesses will find help in looking for more capital as experts will provide them with the techniques on how to access funds from loan providers, including micro-financing,” said Robert Go, Prince Warehouse Club president and chief executive officer, in an interview last week.
Prince Warehouse Club has been organizing the event for the past six years. This year the event will be held this weekend at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.
This year’s theme “Sari-Sari Store Festival 2012: Grow Your Store With Us!” also aims to attract more sari-sari store owners to become a member of their club and start earning points.
“I still believe that the sari-sari store is one of the businesses that most people easily start but has challenges to grow and sustain. As a major retail chain which has presence in other provinces outside of Cebu, we aim to assist them as they grow,” said Go.
Go said that most Filipinos would still prefer to buy from the neighborhood sari-sari store where they know the owner request to buy goods on credit at times.
Go said Prince Warehouse Club would open more outlets by the end of the year in Argao and Dalaguete in southern Cebu with an investment of at least P100 million.
They recently opened branches in Baybay City, Maasin and Naval in Leyte./Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap