The retail industry has been a huge driver in boosting the growth and development of the Philippine economy, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio said at a recent retail conference, as she urged businessmen to seek investment opportunities at the country’s South—which offers greater opportunities for retailers to access untapped markets and further expansion.
“On a local scale, retailers and the services industry remains to be the top business sector in Davao City. It accounts for more than 40 percent of the total number of businesses in our city, covering a diverse set of products,” emphasized Duterte-Carpio, who led the ribbon-cutting rites with the country’s retail giants at the opening of the 24th National Retail Conference & Stores Asia Expo (NCRE) 2017 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, which ran on August 10 and 11.
She also takes pride that some of the homegrown players in the Davao retail industry have joined the expo, which is dubbed as the biggest and most important retail event in the country.
“Now is the perfect time to look beyond and explore retail opportunities in cities further down South,” she said.
“Together, we can make the Philippines become more competitive and continue to bring forth a thriving economy to the country,” she added.
Noting that the retail industry has been a major driver in boosting the growth and development of the Philippine economy, the presidential daughter said doing business in the South, especially for retailers, has been much easier nowadays with efforts from the local governments themselves.
Citing Davao City as an example, Duterte-Carpio said she managed to cut down the business-license process in three quick steps.
“I am quite sure it is not only Davao City that is competitive, I concede more VisMin cities can give more than what Davao can,” she said.
Investors can have easy access to highly qualified and skilled human resources at a comparatively lower rate in the provinces, while utility rates are far more cheaper— which helps lower down operating expenses of businesses regardless of the industry. “But, also, let me take this opportunity to acknowledge the Manila-based companies who have put up business branches in our city. You have contributed to over P230 billion in investment value that the city has reached in 2016, marking a high 6.3-percent increase in investments,” she stressed. “Together, we can make the Philippines become more competitive and continue to bring forth a thriving economy to the country,” she concluded.
NRCE 2017, with the theme “Future-Proofing Retail”, brought together the key movers and shakers of retail and its allied industries in a two-day conference, putting together CEOs and top-level executives of companies all over the Philippines to talk about topics, including new trends in retailing, branding design, future of shopping malls, creating niche in diverse market, online retailing, fashion retailing, impact of music in the marketplace, food retailing and engaging the millennial consumers, among others.
The annual NRCE—the biggest and most important retail event in the country—is the flagship project of the Philippine Retailers Association, the acknowledged national organization of retailers and suppliers nationwide.
The newest offering for this year’s NRCE is the launch of the Supermarket Track, dedicated to supermarkets and food retailers and discussed modern retailing with a responsive Department of Trade and Industry, spatial planning, and supermarket trends in Asia Pacific.
NRCE 2017 Overall Chairman Lorenzo Formoso said this year’s event was aimed to create a deeper understanding of modern retail, as well as open more opportunities for partnerships and networking.
Back to back with the conference is the only focused and dedicated retail suppliers’ expo showcasing the “tools for global retailing” from over 100 exhibitors offering products and solutions for the retail industry, such as retail solutions, e-commerce and m-commerce, shop fittings and store designs, digital marketing, commercial and real-estate developers, web developers, nontraditional advertising, financial services, storage and distribution, HR solutions and billboard locations, among others.
The Stores Asia Expo, which is the biggest in the longest-running retail suppliers’ expo in Asia, drew more than 3,000 visitors and decision-makers from the retail and related industries.