DTI sees 5 to 8 ‘Go Lokal!’ stores in 2017

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) plans to create 5 to 8 "Go Lokal" stores this year to be able to help micro and small enterprises gain market access.

DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said they expect to open 5 to 8 "Go Lokal!" stores this year and 500 by 2020.

The third "Go Lokal!" store was opened Wednesday at SM Makati with 30 MSMEs already displaying their merchandize from food to clothing and fashion accessories.

The two other "Go Lokal!" stores are operational in Enchanted Kingdom’s Pugad souvenir shop and at Robinsons Ermita. For the three stores, Lopez said they have helped around 100 MSMEs in terms of providing them with market access.

He said that CitiMall alone has committed to host 40 "Go Lokal!" stores.

CitiMall is constructing several malls over time, mostly in the provinces. "We're hoping to have stores also in the Ayala Malls, hopefully in Abreeza, but we can go anywhere if there is high foot traffic," he said.

The supplier MSMEs will be rotated every two months and the host mall has the prerogative to choose from the suppliers that have been pre-screened by DTI.

“This launching is another milestone for DTI’s initiatives to provide greater market access for our micro entrepreneurs that are part of Go Lokal!,” said Lopez during the opening of the first "Go Lokal" store of SM.

DTI sees Go Lokal! as an opportunity for the country’s MSMEs to go mainstream and test the marketability of their products without incurring the high costs of operating a retail outlet.

SM Group, the largest chain mail in the country, vowed to help DTI in achieving its goal of helping small businesses by partnering with it. DTI and SM Group partnership aims to ensure a strong and nationwide presence of Go Lokal stores in prime locations for the convenience of the buying public.