Bizmen eyeing retail enterprises urged to venture to Visayas
MANILA – Businessmen eyeing retail ventures are encouraged to locate in areas in the Visayas and Mindanao that offer lower costs of doing business.
Presidential daughter and Davao City mayor Sara Duterte- Carpio said most investors still prefer the capital city despite the fact that many other locations “offer opportunities which make doing retail business more economically viable and
products more accessible to untapped markets”.
“Now is the perfect time to look beyond and explore retail opportunities in cities further down south. Together, we can make the Philippines become more competitive and continue to bring forth a thriving economy to the country,” she said.
Duterte- Carpio, who graced the just concluded National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo 2017 (NRCE), particularly cited Davao City, which has been providing investors access to highly qualified and skilled human resources at a comparatively lower rate.
She said utility rates are cheaper, while the local government has also reduced the business license process to three quick steps.
Th e ma y o r al s o acknowledged the Manila- based companies that have put
up business branches in Davao City, and have contributed to the more than PHP230-billion investment value the city had reached in 2016.
Duterte- Carpio believed that other cities in Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin) are also competitive for doing business. The mayor pointed out that infrastructure development is promising in VizMin with the national government’s “Build, Build, Build” program. This translates to connectivity and accessibility of businesses throughout the country.
She noted that the retail industry is among the leading sectors behind the growth and development of the Philippines.
Likewise, she said retailers and the services industry remain to be the top business sectors in Davao City, accounting for more than 40 percent of the total number of businesses in the city.
Meanwhile, t he 24th edition of the NRCE brought together the key movers and shakers of retail and its allied industries and top- level executives of companies all over the Philippines to talk about industry topics, including new trends in retailing, branding design, creating niche in diverse market, online retailing and engaging the millennial consumers, among others. ( PNA)