Thursday, April 19, 2007
Local group promotes retailing
By Malou M. Mozo Sun.Star Staff Reporter
with Elizabeth Baumgart, STC Mass Comm Intern
LOCAL business owners have formed a Cebu chapter of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) to help boost the industry.
This is what PRA-Cebu president Jay Aldeguer hopes to achieve with a “formidable” working team that will elevate Cebu’s retail industry, which he considers to be a driving force in the local business scene.
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“Retail as always been one of the major industries of Cebu,” Aldeguer said.
PRA, together with the Philippine Franchise Association and the Department of Trade and Industry, will organize the first Cebu Regional Retail and Franchise Conference on April 24 and 25 at The Parklane Hotel, Cebu City.
Representatives from some of Cebu’s fastest growing retail concepts, such as Toys@Work, Paseo, What A Girl Wants, Lava and Dupe, will share their success stories.
“Some of today’s best brands come from Cebu and the main objective of the retail and franchise conference is not only to help them become national brands, but to bring them to world-class standards, as well,” Aldeguer said.
The conference hopes to draw young and old local retail and franchise players that have shaped the lifestyle of Cebuanos.
PRA-Cebu is eyeing 70 to 80 potential members in the areas of information technology, food and specialty stores.
“We encourage active membership participation so they can see and feel the benefits,” said Melanie Ng, Premium Concepts owner and in-charge of membership.
She said some 30 retailers have confirmed their membership.
The PRA board of directors is composed of Robert Go of Prince Warehouse Club, Bernie Liu of Penshoppe, Janel Gaisano of White Gold Inc., Steve Benitez of Bo’s Coffee Club, Chris Tio of Toys@Work and Ng of Premium Concepts
Grassroots
The conference will tackle topics, like opportunities in franchising, customer service, technology solutions, retail branding and visual merchandising, among others.
“Even sari-sari stores should be given inputs on retailing. We need to go back to the grassroots,” Aldeguer told a press conference at The Parklane Hotel last Tuesday.
Asked on what challenges the retail industry is faced with, Aldeguer said he rather wants to hear it from the members themselves.
He revealed, though, that “sensitive issues,” like piracy and taxes will be brought up during the discussions.
Aldeguer said the conference will be a good venue not only to raise the retail industry’s concerns but also to encourage the new breed of industry players to play an active role.
“New players have interesting concepts,” he said, adding that there is a need to develop their innovativeness in order to be globally competitive.
“We don’t want our newcomers to go in there blindly,” added Aldeguer, who is also the executive vice president of the Aldeguer group of companies that runs Islands Souvenirs, Loalde, Bisaya Ispisyal, USA Sports, among others.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. ( April 19, 2007 issue)
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