RETAILERS planning to expand their market reach are encouraged to exhibit their businesses at “The Barracks” in Carbon Market and take advantage of the 15,000 daily foot traffic on weekdays and up to 25,000 daily foot traffic on weekends.
Lydwena Eco, deputy general manager of Cebu2World Development Inc., developer of the New Carbon Market in Cebu City, aired this invitation during the general membership meeting of the Philippine Retailers Association-Cebu Chapter last May 24.
Eco said The Barracks offers micro, small and medium business owners immense opportunities in terms of product activation and other marketing activities.
“We have an exhibit area at The Barracks that members of PRA-Cebu can use,” said Eco.
The Barracks was inspired by Singapore’s Hawker Center that displays Singapore’s local dishes.
As of May 14, 2023, 80 percent of the 300 stalls at The Barracks had already been leased out to tenants composed mostly of food vendors.
Most of the tenants at The Barracks are from the suspended Puso Village project.
The Barracks is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Meanwhile, Eco lauded the business community for helping vendors of Carbon market by providing them with training on basic accounting, food handling and processing techniques, and other skills necessary to grow their businesses.
Eco said vendors have the opportunity to upgrade.
She cited, for instance, the opportunity of turning chili into products like chili paste and powder, among others, instead of throwing them away.
“About 30 to 40 percent of chilis don’t get sold, so our vendors throw them away. Maybe we can partner together to turn these chilis into various products. This will be beneficial to the vendors as these new potential products could make logistics and the supply-chain cost cheaper,” said Eco.
She also underscored the importance of Carbon market as the starting point of every entrepreneur’s journey.
“Our first business ventures started in Carbon. It is where the supply chain starts,” Eco said.
Since the start of the Carbon Market modernization program, the surrounding area has become a destination for both tourists and locals, she added.