MANILA, Philippines - Retailing in the Philippines spans a gamut of venues from supermarkets to hypermarkets, warehouse and discount clubs, large malls, mall boutiques and shops, convenience stores, wet and dry markets, sari-sari stores, and ambulant vendors. Evidently, there will always be new creative ways to sell new products at new venues, only because Filipinos are voracious shoppers.
According to a survey, retail trade in the country continues to grow as consumers’ monthly spending on food, grocery, and personal care increased by 19 percent in 2010 versus the previous year.
But since life has become increasingly hard, Filipino consumers have become creative in their purchasing habits, searching for the best buys in what could well be a very Filipino shopping venue – bazaars or tiyangge.
“Filipinos love to go to bazaars because they know you can haggle with the seller. It’s also where you discover many things that are not in the usual marketplace. You can browse or try the products without feeling embarrassed, and there are a lot of food tasting that is happening which you cannot do in the usual malls or supermarkets,” says Haydee Malicdem-Kwan, vice president for marketing of Philippine Exhibits and Themeparks Corp. (PETCO).
For 22 years now, PETCO has been at the forefront of the country’s exhibition industry, pioneering in trade fairs and exhibitions. The company is best known for Motorshow International (Philippines), the forerunner of all automobile and cycle exhibitions. For years, they also operated the first carnival around the CCP Complex area called Boom na Boom.
PETCO also later helped organize and market colorful regional events such as Cebu’s Sinulog Festival, and Bacolod’s Masskara Festival, as well as Bangus Festival for Dagupan and Hundred Islands Festival, in Alaminos, Pangasinan, the Sumakah Festival in Antipolo, and Manaoag’ Galicayo Festival.
Park, sell, go
Three decades ago, discount hounds would go to baratillos, warehouse-type or open-space venues where a myriad of goods are sold in booths.
There was also the subasta where appliances, home and office equipment, and furniture manufacturers sold goods to consumers at low, low prices.
This year, PETCO is upping the ante in retail shopping by tweaking the tiyangge via Park and Sell, a selling venue where start-ups can sell one-of-a-kind goods using their vehicles as their own stores. PETCO will soon open the Park and Sell complex, located at the Boom na Boom grounds (in front of World Trade Center, Gil Puyat Ave., Pasay City) just in time for the holidays.
The concept is simple and very convenient, according to Kwan: “Entrepreneurs just park at the 30 square meter-space that we will provide with a tent, open their cars to sell their wares, pack up, and go. Sellers can display their wares using their cars, in the trunk, on the roof, or just about anywhere. The 30 square meter space also gives the sellers enough room to display their goods, as well as to maneuver their cars,’’ Kwan explains.
As early as now, the Park and Sell concept is being welcomed by entrepreneurs who do not have the resources yet to rent booths in major malls or exhibition centers but who want to take advantage of the coming holiday shopping.
Unlike malls which charge steep booth rentals, Park and Sell charges on a weekly rental basis. Sellers may opt for the weekly or monthly duration, depending on their inventory.
Her long years of experience in the exhibitions business have also developed in Kwan the strong inclination towards discovering creative entrepreneurs. She makes it a point to talk to each exhibitor, and get to know the process that goes into making their products.
Kwan hopes that through Park and Sell budding entrepreneurs will draw on the opportunity to showcase their products. “We are inviting not only re-sellers but manufacturers to exhibit and sell. We want the goods they make themselves ‘for the love of’ become the ‘next big thing’.” For more information, contact PETCO at 8325401/22; 8329304 or email to boomparkandsell@gmail.com