Sun.Star Cebu

New prexy seeks online presence for local retailers

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With the rapid sweep of technology over the retail industry, the newly-inducted president of the Philippine Retailers Associatio­n-Cebu wants members to venture into social media to tap the younger market.

Chester Lim of the Belmont Group said less than 10 percent of the retail businesses in Cebu have a social media presence.

“We are preparing them to be globally-competitiv­e. We also want to make sure that they are up-todate with the technology that they can tap to help their retail business,” Lim told SunStar Cebu.

Lim said that because of the fast growth rate of millennial­s using technology in buying for their convenienc­e, brick and mortar businesses should also be online.

“It’s really fast, the technology and the lifestyle of the people, especially the milleninal­s. They have several social media accounts. This is something that the retailers cannot neglect. They have to embrace this kind of happening,” he said.

Lim said the generation gap between retail executives remains a challenge, but the younger generation of successors are keen on riding the social media wave.

“We have to consider the millennial­s since everything now is online. The company wants to tap that sector of the market because it’s very big. Fifteen to 20 years from now, those millennial­s will make up most of the diverse consumer market,” he said.

Lim suceeded Robert Go of Prince Retail Holdings and was inducted on Monday, Feb. 18, at the Bayfront Hotel Cebu.

PRA-Cebu has 80 members in its fold and Lim said they are targeting to reach 300 during his term.

During his stint, Lim plans to encourage more of their members to shift to digital by inviting internatio­nal speakers from around Asia and hold seminars.

“We could bring the speakers here in Cebu because there’s also a market for that. As long as you give them the informatio­n or the education that will help their business, they will invest in it,” he said. /

 ?? SUNSTAR FOTO / MICO BACASMAS, USC INTERN ?? NEW LEADER. Charles Lim of the Belmont Group is the new president of the Philippine Retailers Associatio­nCebu.
SUNSTAR FOTO / MICO BACASMAS, USC INTERN NEW LEADER. Charles Lim of the Belmont Group is the new president of the Philippine Retailers Associatio­nCebu.

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