GO LOKAL! STORE TO BOOST TRAVEL RETAIL

For small and medium enterprises, having a permanent store can help them reach a wider market, says DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte

Seeing one’s products being marketed inside a Go Lokal! Store would mean wider market opportunities.

For Asteria Caberte, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), travel retail will get a boost as a Go Lokal! Store will in Ayala Center Cebu 11 days from now.

Caberte said exhibiting products in trade fairs and exhibits is not enough for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to generate a good following from all market segments.

She said the sector needs a permanent location where buyers can easily find them.

Caberte said the opening of a Go Lokal! Store in Cebu is timely, as the appetite of local consumers on export quality products has regained momentum.

The store is also seen to boost Cebu’s image in the creative and design capabilities as the products that will be featured in the store boasts of Filipinos’ craftsmanship and ingenuity.

Go Lokal! Store will soft open this Sept. 10 in the mall’s hallway fronting Rustan’s Department Store. This will be the first branch outside Metro Manila.

The grand opening is scheduled in October, said Caberte.

Go Lokal! is a retail concept store showcasing quality and innovative Philippine products crafted, designed, and produced by the country’s MSMEs.

“This will be a different concept. It will highlight our export quality, high-end products,” said Caberte.

She said the store aims to capture the tourism market, balikbayans and the affluent society of Cebu as potential buyers of premium, Filipino-made products.

Go Lokal! carries everyday products made from indigenous materials that are modern in design, world-class in packaging, and are competitively priced-veloped from processed food, home decor, arts and crafts, health and wellness products, fashion apparel, accessories, and eco-friendly products.

These products undergo extensive product development with product specialists from the Design Center of the Philippines to make them suitable for the retail, export, and souvenir markets.

Meanwhile, plans to install an Otop (One Town, One Product) Philippines (PH) Hub is also underway.

Caberte said these hubs will be located in the identified tourism zones. One of the identified Otop PH Hub locations in the region is in Bohol.

Otop Philippines Hub provides the physical and online channels and market access platform where Otop products – especially those that have been assisted via product development – are showcased daily. /